Zombie! The Musical (Hayes) ★★★★★

Book, musical and lyrics by Laura Murphy. World Premiere. Hayes Theatre Company. 8 Mar – 6 Apr, 2024.

Don’t call them “zombies”, they’re “ghouls”… or maybe the better word is “trolls”. Laura Murphy’s destined-to-achieve-cult-status musical Zombie! The Musical proves she’s one of our best working talents, writing the music, lyrics and book – and all three are better than any other Australian musical I’ve seen in the last five years. This show has my heart, and it can eat it too if it likes.

A community theatre group is rehearsing what can only be described as a depressingly sexist old musical when their lead actor Dave (a bizarrely multifaceted performance by Ryan Gonzalez) gets bitten by a strange five-year-old. As the leading lady Felicity (Chelsea Dawson), and director George (Drew Livingston) fight over who should replace him, the news reports flood in. Sydney is under threat from a zombie-apocalypse and everyone should stay in doors. Trapped in a theatre, with a brains-hungry zombie-Ryan on the loose. Ingenue Felicity, Dave’s girlfriend Hope (Chelsea Dawson), ageing star Carol (Tamsin Carroll), ensemble members Sam (Natalie Abbott) and Mila (Monique Sallé), director George and stage manager Trace (Nancy Denis) have to put their high kicks and stage-fighting skills to the test to survive… and maybe… save the world through the power of musical theatre.

Zombie! The Musical is laugh-out-loud daft, with a whip-smart book and lyrics hiding beneath its B-movie exterior. What starts off with a stage director dehumanising his cast and boxing them into generic and retrograde roles, develops into a surprisingly (if blatant) allegory for how we treat each other online – demonising those we disagree with while they do the same to us. Impaled zombies stand in for a polarised nation. 

To add that spoonful of sugar to the “big message”, Murphy has loaded Zombie with non-stop musical theatre jokes that will keep even a casual fan of musicals rolling in the aisles. From visual gags (like Felicity fending off a zombie barricade-style with a French flag) to verbal expletives like “Oh my Godspell”, the Easter Eggs are all there to find. The score plays with pastiche of recognisable hits as well bursting out in brand new bangers. MT and horror tropes are turned on their head with clever wordplay and the B-movie vibes get elevated by some particularly gruesome props. Although can we all please retire the phrase “flip the script” from pop-musical lyrics? It’s done.

I’m a big fan of Monique Sallé, and it says a lot that in this show she does slightly fade into the background. Not because she’s not giving it her all, but because the ensemble are all operating on the same talentedly demented level. There are really no weak links here. Gonzales is both charming and monstrous as a zombie, Carroll is droll and divine, while Dawson goes from ambitious young actress to zombie-hunting machine with conviction.

Director (the actual real director, not the character) Darren Yap keeps the show moving and spinning. It takes some clever staging to make the horror & comedy work, and both are delivered with panache. Choreographer Chiara Assetta gets to play with a cast who can move well (Ryan Gonzales’ zombie-hip-hop is a real treat). And Verity Hampson’s lighting, along with David Grigg’s sound, nails the tone.

But this is Laura Murphy’s triumph. After delivering solid commissions like The Lovers and The Dismissal, it feels like Zombie! The Musical is coming straight from her creative heart. Quirky and deranged, it’s bound to be a hit around the world, especially in smaller theatres, and who knows, with an injection of cash it could take over the big stages too. So, chookas to the Apocalypse!