Melbourne Season for The Lucky Country Musical

Following its debut season at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre, the new musical, The Lucky Country, about what it means to be Australian, will open at Melbourne’s Lawler Theatre from Monday 13 October, before heading to Brisbane Powerhouse as part of MELT Festival.

With an original score that pays homage to some of Australia’s greatest musicians, this 60-minute chamber musical takes audiences on a joyful and moving ride through a patchwork of Aussie stories. Digging deep into the themes of identity and belonging, The Lucky Country is a heartfelt and wildly entertaining celebration of who we can be as Australians.

Created by Australian theatre-makers — composer and lyricist Vidya Makan (Hamilton, SIX) and director Sonya Suares (Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George) — The Lucky Country reclaims and reimagines the national songbook with soundtrack, performed live by a five-piece band (featuring yidaki) alongside an outstanding ensemble of six.

Composer and lyricist Vidya Makan said: “We wanted the music to feel instantly familiar — like flipping through the radio dial of Australia. You’ll hear echoes of Baker Boy, Jimmy Barnes, Kylie, The Seekers, Electric Fields plus loads more — all remixed through a contemporary lens that feels uniquely ours.”

Meet Boy, a 13-year-old Thiitharr Warra kid, whose youthful optimism is dashed when he clashes with his teacher’s notion of ‘our shared history’. It sparks a journey of self-actualisation that leads him back to Country and a moment of truth.

While Boy grapples with the fault lines in our national story, we encounter a collection of all-Aussie characters including grey nomads who find love on a Contiki tour, a Chinese Australian restauranteur who dreams of life as a Byron Bay nudist, a young refugee in Mingoola, a WW2 veteran, an aspiring actress and a fake Russian choir.

Director Sonya Suares said: “This is a show that claims space for the voices and perspectives that tend to be overlooked when Australia tells its story. It's cheeky, it's irreverent, at times it pops off like a rocket. But at its core, it's an invitation to gather, reflect, rethink where we've been and how we might move forward together.”

The full cast for the Melbourne and Brisbane season will be announced soon.

Dates: Monday 13 – Saturday 18 October

Preview: Monday 13 October

Time: 7pm Monday – Wednesday, 5pm Thursday, 8pm Friday & Saturday (2.30pm matinees Wednesday & Saturday)

Venue: Southbank Theatre, The Lawler, 140 Southbank Boulevard

Booking: mtc.com.au

Tickets: Preview $44.50; Early Bird $50; Adults $65-69; Conc $55-59 (Student, Equity, Pension); Group 6+ $55; Blaktix $44.50