Review – Wolf Creek the Musical

Murder, music, a man in a dress, and clams. ‘Wolf Creek the Musical’ is, rather unsurprisingly, a low-budget musical rendition of 2005’s Australian horror film ‘Wolf Creek’. Making the most of a small stage, a few (cheap) props, and the intentionally awkward characterisations of the cast, it makes for a fun and enjoyable piece of theatre that, while it might not land every joke perfectly, keeps a good pace and a fun atmosphere throughout.

Of course, given the source material, it shouldn’t be surprising that ‘Wolf Creek the Musical’ is in no way suitable for a family audience, but the horror elements it includes are downplayed (or under-funded) enough to be accessible for people who aren’t really in to horror films.

Not only that, but there’s an underhanded lampooning of horror tropes throughout the show serving to bring out the laughs in moments they might otherwise have fallen away. In fact, most of the biggest laughs came not directly from the dialogue, but from the glib ‘off the cuff’ moments as the characters move from one setup to the next.

Kel Balnaves is the stand out for me (or the ‘stand up’? He’s very tall) as the killer, ‘Mick’, and I promise it’s not just because he has excellent crazy eyes. That’s not to say that any of the cast let the side down at all, this show relies on timing and each member of the cast carries their part easily.

Of course, since the show is ‘Wolf Creek the Musical’, there are songs. Luckily, this show avoids overloading with music, and knows when to cut off a song before it bogs the pace down. The lyrics deserve a mention, too, since writers James McCann and Demi Lardner have made good use of rhyming conventions to keep the audience entertained.

Also, any show that includes the line ‘I’ll take ’em to my rape shed, ‘cos its where I does me rapes’ in a way that works wins points with me.

‘Wolf Creek the Musical’ is playing every night except Mondays until April 20th at the Trades Hall. Horror fan or not, there’s a lot to enjoy in this show, so get along to see it.