In what I imagine was a coincidence in timing Sydney has just had a short season of the stage production Carrie The Musical just as a film remake of the iconic 1976 horror film Carrie is released in Sydney.
It is difficult to imagine that Stephen King's horror short story could be turned into a musical but this is exactly what was done in 1988 in a production by no less than the Royal Shakespeare Company in England and subsequently on Broadway the same year in a production that lasted only 16 previews and 5 performances despite all the shows being sold out. The financial backers withdrew in the face of mixed reviews.
In fact the musical is surprisingly good, especially the first act although the second act falls away somewhat in comparison.
The Sydney staging was by Squabbalogic Independent Music Theatre a quirky theatre company I had never heard about and what an unexpected pleasure the production proved to be. The mostly young cast of aspiring performers was very good. The small orchestra played well and the simple staging was effective throughout.
★★★1/2
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