[title of show]

What do you get when you combine four mismatched chairs, one keyboard, a turkey burger, three luscious blondes (one partially mute), two gay thespians (one a grammar Nazi with a soft spot for Wonder Women and a tendency to get “hangry”, the other a “procrasturbating” navel-gazer with a penchant for internet porn and dream sequences), songs about monkeys and speedboats, a plethora of theatrical in-jokes and a touch of chest fuzz?

You get [title of show] - a quirky, hilarious, charming little meta-musical that has managed to make it’s way to the land of Vegemite, koalas and K-Dudd thanks to Melbourne’s favourite little independent producer, Magnormos.

Bored in their apartments, Jeff (David Spencer) and Hunter (Michael Lindner) decide to write a show for submission into the inaugural New York Music Theatre Festival. Only problem is the deadline is three weeks away and they are stumped for ideas. So, in a light-bulb moment, they decide to write a musical about the making of the musical you are watching. They rope in two female friends - serial Broadway understudy auditionee, Heidi (Lara Thew) and Susan (Laura Fitzpatrick), a quick-witted cool chick who has given up on showbiz for the remuneration that comes with a soul-destroying corporate job. Hilarity, success, disappointment, bitching and re-writing ensues as this foursome try to find a balance between commercial success and creative integrity. But in the end, they remain bound by their affection for one another and a shared desire to realise their creative dreams. This may sound glib but I assure you, it’s not. The intelligent, self-deprecating humour of the writing ensures that this one-act delight never allows itself to become self-indulgent or pretentious.

After an opening number (entitled Untitled Opening Number) slightly lacking in energy, the male leads soon found their rhythm and by the time Michael Lindner did his final butt shimmy in the hilarious An Original Musical I was totally transfixed. (Side note: When Michael first appeared on stage for this number I mistakenly thought he was dressed as a tooth and about to launch into a song about cavity prevention – which would not have been entirely out of place in this unpredictable show, he was in fact a blank page).

Molars aside, the highlight of the night was the comical and unexpectedly poignant Die Vampire Die about the “vampires” of self-doubt that visit the creatively-minded, eroding any semblance of self esteem. This number was led with conviction by Laura Fitzpatrick whose sublime vocals and dry delivery of some of the shows best lines were spot-on till the last line of the show.

With a minimalist set, no costumes changes and an absence of sequins and chorus girls, you need exceptional performances by the four leads to make this show work. I imagine it would be daunting to take on characters initially played by the characters themselves, but each of the cast were entirely believable and able to tackle the material with just enough subtlety and over-the-topness (not a word I know Jeff) to make the scenes snap, crackle and pop. (This is an attempt at a rice crispy treat in-joke). Not for one second did I doubt that this uber-talented foursome were mates, as passionate about their project as they were about hanging out with one another. High-five for the cast chemistry.

David Spencer and Michael Lindner were fantastic as the brooding Jeff and the flamboyant Hunter. Their voices blended seamlessly and they captured the natural cadences of conversation so that their interaction never felt scripted. Their performances were vibrant and charming ensuring that the audience remained engaged and entertained. I had the urge to hop into Jeff’s living room and flip through Playbills then scoot over to Hunter’s place (on my magical chair) and You Tube stuff.

Lara Thew as Heidi is a welcome addition to the Magnormos cast list. She has a power-house voice and a commanding yet cute-as-a-button presence. She had the opening night audience on side from the minute she popped on stage so I’m thrilled that she’s “living and loving life in Melbourne” because I look forward to seeing more of her around the traps. And her shoes were lovely.

The partially blonde mute I mentioned in the opening para was in fact Musical Director Sophie Thomas who appears on stage as the accompanist Mary. Mary is only allowed to speak once Jeff assures her that he’s sorted it out with the Union. Fact is, she doesn’t need words. Mary manages to let you know exactly what she’s thinking with the simple raising of an eyebrow. Subtle. Fabulous.

This show is likely to be adored by musical theatre tragics and thoroughly enjoyed by non-die-hard-thespians, though the latter might wonder why the a large portion of the audience start giggling when Susan blurts out “Don’t say that of course you were meant to have children”. I’m sure more than one Broadway in-joke flew over my head but I got just enough of them to feel like one of the cool kids.

The success of this show lies in its humour and quirkiness. While necessary to add substance and stay true to the story, I found the “angsty” scenes following the show’s success at the festival to be a tad klunky in an otherwise zippy show. However, by the time Thew delivered the heartfelt A Way Back to Then, I was back on the fan wagon.

Movement by Associate Director Jessica Enes was clever and well-executed, managing to punctuate the hilarity of the scenes with a zealous exclamation mark. Jessica, Sophie and Aaron Joyner obviously make one helluva team. Aaron directed this piece with smarts and should be incredibly proud of this slick production. His passion for producing musical theatre that is original, refreshing and inspired is…well…inspiring.

Magnormos not only introduce us to delectable little morsels of musical theatre heaven, they also present themselves with consistent professionalism. From the neat lighting by Lucy Birkinshaw-Campbell and attuned costuming by Emma Kennedy to the impeccably designed program, it’s clear that this company has got it’s sh*t together. And that Naomi sure can make a mean opening night cupcake. Delish.

So c’mon y’all, get to Theatre Works and support this fabulously adorable, sassy little show, because it’s cool and different. And because I said so.

[title of show] runs from 3 – 15 May at Theatre Works in St Kilda. To book, go to www.magtix.com or call the Theatreworks box office on 9534 3388.

Jacqui Bunting works in as a Corporate Communications Coordinator while studying Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University. As a freelance writer, she regularly contributes to The Sunday Age opinion page and has been published in The Financial Review, WA Today and The Saturday Age (Insight). She completed a three year Musical Theatre Diploma at Tshwane University, South Africa in 2001. She has since performed in numerous musicals in Melbourne, the most recent of which were Songs for a New World with Devanesen Productions and Bare with New Beat Theatre Company. She is currently working on a memoir which she hopes to finish before she becomes incontinent.