Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
World Premiere in 2017!
One of Australia’s much-loved iconic movies – Muriel’s Wedding – will be produced as a new world premiere musical theatre show by Global Creatures and Sydney Theatre Company (STC) next year.
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical will play 6 November to 30 December, 2017, at Sydney’s Roslyn Packer Theatre, as a major highlight of STC’s 2017 season.
Based on the internationally popular 1994 motion picture Muriel’s Wedding (written and directed by PJ Hogan, produced by Lynda House and Jocelyn Moorhouse), Muriel’s Wedding The Musical will be directed by Simon Phillips (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Love Never Dies).
The 1994 movie made Australian actor Toni Collette a star and cemented the character of Muriel Heslop as an Australian on-screen legend.
In Muriel’s Wedding The Musical, Muriel Heslop is back! Stuck in a dead-end life in Porpoise Spit, Muriel dreams of the perfect wedding – the white dress, the church, the attention. Unfortunately, there’s one thing missing. A groom. Following her dreams to Sydney, Muriel ends up with everything she ever wanted – a man, a fortune and a million Twitter followers. That’s when things start to go really wrong.
Writer PJ Hogan is updating his own screenplay for the stage, and original music for Muriel’s Wedding The Musical is being written by award-winning singer-songwriters Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall, to join beloved songs by ABBA’s Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus & Stig Anderson.
Helpmann Award-winner Gabriela Tylesova, frequent collaborator with Simon Phillips, will design sets and costumes.
Carmen Pavlovic, CEO of Global Creatures, said “When the film of ‘Muriel’s Wedding’ was released in 1994, it was an immediate global sensation. The humour, emotion and heart of Muriel Heslop’s story are the perfect ingredients for a live musical!
I’m thrilled that PJ Hogan has agreed to bring his much loved story to the stage and I’m looking forward to working with the abundantly talented team of PJ, Simon, Kate, Keir and Gabriela.
I can’t imagine a better opportunity than partnering with Australia’s leading theatre company, STC, to ensure the best possible creative development and presentation of this brand new musical. STC is an industry leader in creating new work and together our two organisations can bring significant creative resources to bear.”
PJ Hogan said, “I’ve been asked many times to put Muriel’s Wedding on stage and I’ve always said no – mainly because the film seemed to do what I wanted it to do, and has somehow resisted the obscurity that time and changing fashions are apt to visit upon everything and everyone. So why tempt fate and invite Muriel (and a singing Muriel, at that) to cavort in 2017? Back in 1994 Muriel had a problem that seemed peculiar to her… how do you become famous (that is loved/admired/envied by all) when you have no discernible talent, no achievements, and when no one believes in you except you? The new millennium has provided the tools for dreamers afflicted by obscurity: Twitter, FaceBook, Instagram, You Tube, not to mention that Hogwarts for the irrelevant, Reality TV. Muriel was born to be a Millennial. So a Millennial she has become; Who sings!”
Kip Williams, Interim Artistic Director said “At Sydney Theatre Company we’re thrilled that one of Australia’s greatest cinematic gifts to the world will now find new life on stage as Muriel’s Wedding The Musical. This will be a fantastic opportunity for STC to revisit a much-loved form of theatre, the musical.”
