On Friday I went with the friend I first saw Brian de Palma’s Carrie with in high school, to the Australian premiere of Carrie – The Musical. It did not disappoint!
Fans of the novel which propelled Stephen King to fame as well as de Palma’s iconic work will appreciate this intelligent and absorbing interpretation from independent music theatre company Squabbalogic. Playing in the intimate surrounds of Sydney’s Reginald Theatre (a little like your living room, if your living room had tiered seats and a small group of musicians tucked to one side), the production emphasises psychological story over horror spectacle. It’s tonally rather similar to those other musical tales of misfits, Hairspray and Grease, but never loses sight of Carrie’s much darker trajectory as a character. Hilary Cole is terrific in the lead role.
My retrospective review will appear in RealTime in early 2014. In the meantime, I thoroughly recommend Squabbalogic’s production.
The Australian premiere season of Carrie – The Musical runs from November 13-30 at the Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre, Sydney.
Sounds awesome. Carrie was the first scary movie I ever saw – I remember the night I saw it with a greater clarity than most other nights at that age.
Hey Rebecca, what a great one to start with! It’s interesting the way some films weave themselves into our memories when we see them as kids, isn’t it? It’s not surprising Carrie had that impact on you. On another note, I’m really enjoying your beautifully expressed blog.
Thanks Kat…the feeling is entirely mutual 🙂