What a privilege it is to say I saw it; I got to experience Tivoli Lovely on its first ever opening night. I say first because it would be an absolute crime against the theatre community if this show did not have another life beyond its premiere season.
This brand-new musical, written by Eddie Perfect, has been in the making for three years with WAAPA’s Music Theatre graduating class of 2025. (If you want to find out more about how it came to fruition, click here.) The show reflects on a nearly forgotten era of entertainment, the Tivoli circuit, which toured through Australia with a variety of acts, some wackier than others.
The memories of the Tivoli are told through Kitty (Caroline McKenzie), an 85-year-old former dancer and singer who was part of the 1954 circuit. She’s relaying her memories to Charlotte (Zoe Davidson-Wall), a troubled, moody teen who has been forced to collect her story as part of a school project interviewing elders about what life was like when they were the student’s age. The grimy walls of the retirement village apartment where Kitty lives soon become host to a flurry of vibrant colours and activity as her stories are brought to life.
Tivoli Lovely. Photography by Stephen Heath.
Kitty herself is, of course, at the centre of these memories, with a younger version of herself played by Stephanie Graham. Her story begins when she joins the Tivoli at 15 as a dancer and singer with the Lovelies. But this is more than just a trip down memory lane. The story Kitty tells involves friendship, love, and most unexpectedly, murder.
From the first production number, the whole audience undoubtedly knew we were about to see something sensational. Eddie’s music and lyrics were catchy, campy, and clever. A sense of awe and excitement bubbled within me, and I was absolutely fixated on the perfect marriage of all elements on stage.
Each number elicited enthusiastic applause, but from the first act, The Eleven Kevins certainly took home the audience favourite award, led by Sebastian Cruse as the charismatic yet conniving Daddy Kevin Watkins.
Tivoli Lovely. Photography by Stephen Heath.
It’s quite incredible how well the story leans into the musical theatre format. The razzle-dazzle performances from the Tivoli naturally become big production numbers, and the magic of the 1950s era is perfectly captured. Dann Barber’s set and costume design evokes the grandiosity of the era with plenty of feathers, sparkles, and bright colours, while also reflecting the grunginess of how these costumes and spaces would have looked through heavy, regular use.
Kelley Abbey’s brilliant choreography gave us everything we wanted and more, with not a detail left untouched. Nothing about what we were seeing or hearing seemed easy to perform, yet each movement and note appeared second nature to this talented cast. You could see their passion and commitment in every action on stage.
Dean Bryant’s direction is nothing short of brilliant. With a 40-strong cast, he handles group numbers with ease, delivering the same level of emotional impact as the world quickly expands and retracts from a huge ensemble back to just Kitty and Charlotte in a living room. I was particularly taken by the direction of dual moments, where a proscenium arch on an angle was used at times to give us a view of both backstage and onstage.
Tivoli Lovely. Photography by Stephen Heath.
The performances were a walking, breathing, singing, and dancing testimonial to WAAPA’s training. As Young Kitty, Stephanie Graham embraced the sweet yet cheeky nature of her 15-year-old character, and her vocal performance contained plenty of subtle choices that brought warmth and extra personality to the role. Stephanie’s dynamic with Christina Anastasiadis, who played Maggie, Kitty’s best friend, was particularly heartwarming and resulted in one of my favourite songs from the show, which might just become a new anthem for friendship. Playing Harriet, Olivia Chatto delivered a deliciously evil performance that showed a level of talent you would expect from someone well beyond her years. I was truly impressed by the entire cast, each given their own moments to shine and make their characters their own.
Tivoli Lovely. Photography by Stephen Heath.
While three years might seem like a long time to develop a show, in comparison to other musicals of this size and calibre, it’s a rather short period. This hilarious production has the polish and slickness of a show that has been running successfully on the West End or Broadway for years. The pacing of the piece is artful, never lagging or moving too quickly for us to comprehend. Stylistically, it sits well within the wheelhouse of Eddie’s other works and will hopefully garner the same success.
Tivoli Lovely is an undeniable crowd-pleaser that fires on all cylinders. All it needs now is an original cast album, please and thank you!
Tivoli Lovely by Eddie Perfect on at Heath Ledger Theatre 7-14 November.