The Queen jukebox musical penned by Ben Elton, We Will Rock You, has become an Experience with Platinum Entertainment‘s latest production under the direction of Trevor Patient, running every Friday night in March at Venue 360. The producers have recognised that sometimes a crowd needs the opportunity to sing and dance along without being shushed and shamed. So instead of having a one-off singalong night, they’ve made the entire season a singalong experience where some audience members might even be wigged and costumed and briefly brought into the action (with consent, of course).
Fringe festivalgoers will be experienced in the audience participation experience, so this might be par for the course and a moot selling point for those folks. However, there are still heaps of Perthians who haven’t even heard of FRINGE WORLD, but who might be a bit more likely to have heard of Queen and are keen to have a go at something interactive. This show is ideal for nostalgic Queen fans who like a bit of Rocky Horror, Mad Max, and The Young Ones‘ aesthetics, tone, and humour; it’s accessible with plenty of visual flash, energetic dancing, and pop vocal styling.
The production features all WA-based talent, featuring Boorloo/Perth’s beloved drag queen Dean Misdale in the role of Killer Queen, Clay Darius as Kashoggi, James Hancox as Buddy, Nicholas and Kelsey Cruse as Galileo and Scaramouche, Mikey Keith as Brit, Melissa Gall as Oz, and Louise Azarian as the teacher/Aretha. The cast give their all, but due to competing with the prominent backing tracks and a heavy reliance on sustained belting from the throat in an attempt to reach the vocal heights of Freddy Mercury’s unparalleled larynx, not all of the leads made it to the end with the same strength they started with.
In a star turn, Misdale’s innate charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent served them well as Killer Queen, oozing confidence and villainy with such Dynasty-level class that we pretty much thank her for ruining everyone else’s day/life. I found myself sitting in anticipation of Misdale’s next entrance and new look, as I wasn’t terribly engaged in Elton’s silly but nevertheless still relevant anti-AI, anti-fascist story.
The costumes (Katrina Patient), hair and makeup are wonderfully realised, especially the Gaga-esque fits for the dancers. The ensemble choreography by Una Genuino, Elli O’Dwyer, and Ashleigh Renee Perrie is clean and sharp throughout. The visual effects design (Rory Henderson) goes a long way in heightening the staging, though for my photosensitivity, the brightest screens (e.g., the high school hallway) were too overpowering both for my eyes and for the light plot, making me cover my eyes or putting the performers too much in silhouette. Nevertheless, the overall lighting and visual design that went into each small screen around the seating were skilfully integrated. The revolving stage was put to great use, though during the quieter duet its noise became an additional sound for the Cruses to compete with.
My We Will Rock You Experience overall was unique and novel; I generally shy away from jukebox musicals and it was my first time inside the well-resourced Venue 360. Platinum Entertainment seems to be onto a good thing with this show, which offers feel-good entertainment featuring WA artists, nostalgia, and both permission and encouragement to get involved.
CICELY BINFORD
The We Will Rock You Experience runs every Friday until 28 Mar at Venue 360. For tickets and more information, click here.
