The Marvellous Elephant Man is a comedic musical based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, a severely disfigured man who was exhibited as a freak in 1800s England, and the cruelty he suffered as an outcast from society.
In this melodramatic re-imagining – directed by West End director Guy Masterson and Melbourne film director Chris Mitchell, and presented by Adelaide theatre producer Joanne Hartstone – the outcast is known as John Merrick and is performed in sorrowful grey face by noted Australian tenor Ben Clark.
Clark’s performance is incredibly strong. We are introduced to Merrick as the “Elephant Man” as he is pulled from a cage on a leash by Dr Frederick Treves to be displayed as a monstrous oddity.
Portrayed by seasoned musical theatre tenor Kanen Breen, Treves is a cruel and heinous doctor who shows off Merrick as a trophy to gain clout in high society. Breen’s powerful voice and domineering presence as this evil character is captivating.
Up-and-coming performer Annelise Hall sweetly embodies the kind-hearted and romantic Nurse Hope. Hall delivers an endearing performance as Hope, appearing in a tiered, ruffled, blueish-grey dress and questioning what it means to experience love. She is contrasted by two immodest and frisky nurses talking of marrying for money and status. Despite Hope’s dreams of romance, she is positioned to marry the callous Dr Treves when she first meets Merrick.
Musician and performer Marc Lucchesi is endlessly entertaining as he takes on the role of the ringmaster, Italian restaurant owner Giancarlo, Russian sage Mama Mamushka, and others as part of the ensemble. His performances are ridiculously charming. Lucchesi manages to arouse belly laughs from the audience whenever he appears on stage.
Annelise Hall embodies romantic Nurse Hope in The Marvellous Elephant Man. Photo: Supplied
Themes of masculinity, humanity, and prejudice are explored in this outrageous musical as Hope must choose between the highly regarded and powerful Dr Treves and the “Elephant Man” on the outer edge of society.
The crescendo of the show sees Merrick and Treves engage in an impressive battle of strength as Merrick develops an hilariously literal display of elephant might.
This is an impressively large-scale production with many moving parts, costume changes, and props, along with an hour-and-a-half worth of original music played by a live band. Musical director Sarah Nandagopan creates an atmosphere of magic and fairytales, with the band working seamlessly alongside the stage performance.
Each member of the cast is a highly skilled singer and together they bring Sarah Nandagopan and fellow composer Jayan Nandagopan’s delightful and hilarious music to life.
The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical is an audaciously witty comedy with a lot of heart. Masterson, Mitchell, and Hartstone bring a world-class, original production to this year’s Adelaide Fringe that is not to be missed.
Get InReview in your inbox – free each Saturday. Local arts and culture – covered.
Thanks for signing up to the InReview newsletter.
The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical is playing at the Wonderland Spiegeltent in Hindmarsh Square until March 13.
Shannon Pearce is the third recipient of the Helpmann Academy InReview Mentorship. She is working with experienced writers Graham Strahle and Samela Harris to write a series of articles for publication in InReview.
Read more 2023 Adelaide Fringe stories and reviews on InReview here.
Support local arts journalism
Your support will help us continue the important work of InReview in publishing free professional journalism that celebrates, interrogates and amplifies arts and culture in South Australia.
Donate Here
