3.5 out of 5.0 stars
Eddie Perfect’s brand new musical at the Heath Ledger Theatre was a fresh and funny night out. Performed by current WAAPA students, there was much to like and, for me, after several “meh” experiences lately, this was some welcome quality.
The show is very Australian, and seemed inspired by other Aussie shows. The character of Kitty reminded me of Ruth Cracknell from Mother and Son. The setting, characters, and twist of violence were reminiscent of The Dressmaker film.
Tivoli Lovely is funny and written in such a way that modern audiences will appreciate. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and is exactly the style that is needed to preserve the art form and keep new generations interested.
There’s plenty of pure entertainment and the 40 strong cast performed with passion. I especially enjoyed the ballads and singing in strong Australian accents. The show kept getting better in the second Act, something that is not often the case.
As in The Dressmaker, the story is wacky. It’s also sweet and romantic. But it is also predictable. For example, the whole rhyming with Kevin gag on which so much of the story hangs was unoriginal after Kevin Rudd’s two political campaigns. I saw it coming a mile off, that the troupe would adjust its numbers from 11 to 7 because that number also rhymes with “Kevin”. The pace of the story could, in parts, also be finessed . Several times it was too slow, teetering on dragging, only to be rescued just in time. Elsewhere it was too fast, such as in the proposal and arrest scenes.
This all leads into a disappointing ending where the one twist you don’t see coming is more of an anti-climax that takes the power and emotion out of the moment. It is trying to be heart warming but ends up corny. The finale was still presented with skill but ultimately the musical let itself down here in story and song after being strong overall until then.
Nevertheless, a lot of effort went into this show and I am so glad to see Australia pioneering in the musicals industry, and even better, that the story is an Aussie one. I loved that there was lots of humour and local references and the WAAPA students did an amazing job pioneering these characters. I hope that Tivoli Lovely will get plenty more stage time after this initial Perth premiere.
