Atomic

Blak Yak’s Atomic was an Australian written musical about the development of the Atomic Bomb. This WA premiere was a well presented, passionate production of this interesting new work.

The plot follows brilliant physicist Leo Szilard (a strong Tom Hutton) and his girlfriend Gertrude Weiss (a stunning Cassie Skinner), as they leave Nazi Germany, via Britain, to seek refuge in the US, where he eventually becomes part of the Manhattan Project. We are given a snapshot of the people involved, the difficulty getting the project to fruition and the repercussions of its success.

Oliver Clare was a compelling Enrico Fermi, Zac Bennett-McPhee was convincing as Arthur Compton and Matthew Arnold was very strong as Robert Oppenheimer, with Mitch Lawrence commanding as General Groves.

Matthew Manning delivered a very moving, stellar performance as Enola Gay pilot Paul Tibbets, and was very strong as wunderkind physicist Edward Teller, albeit a little young for the role. Therese Cruise stood out in a lovely performance as Leona Woods. Ariadne Westcott-King (who also choreographed) and Chantel Bell rounded out the cast nicely in ensemble roles.

The score is interesting, with some chances for the performers to soar. Musical Director Joshua Haines led a talented six piece band (piano, drums and strings). While the music impressed throughout, there were some balance issues in the big group numbers which meant we missed some lyrics - which was unfortunate.

While not the easiest show to watch, given the subject matter, it was wonderful to see a new show, that was performed with passion, polish and panache. Atomic was a production that did not disappoint and packed a punch.

Kimberley Shaw