Following a three-year development period, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts’ (WAAPA’s) new music theatre production, Tivoli Lovely, pays tribute to Australia’s theatrical past. This vaudeville about vaudeville shows by Eddie Perfect (Beetlejuice the Musical, Shane Warne the Musical), boasts an ensemble cast of 40, complete with a live band, and is possibly the most exciting musical ever to come out of Perth.
Tivoli Lovely: a vaudevillian memory-scape
The framing story centres 85-year-old Kitty, who shares the stories of her youth with Charlotte – a 15-year-old who is interviewing an elderly person for a school assignment. As Kitty reminisces about her time as a Tivoli showgirl, warm light fills the stage and Kitty’s past materialises. The Tivoli Lovelies – young Kitty included – dance onstage in sequins and feathers as Kitty reminisces. Pulled into a vaudevillian memory-scape, the audience momentarily forgets Charlotte and Kitty, having been transported to a 1950s variety show.
The plot alternates between the surprisingly emotional present-day Kitty/Charlotte story, and the Tivoli Circuit of 1954. The framing story is more than just a narrative device and is just as engaging as its flash-back counterpart, providing stark contrast and temporal perspective to emphasise the emotional elements of both storylines. For the young, Tivoli Lovely will elicit an acute awareness of their future finitude, whereas older audiences will be transported into an ephemeral past.
Without revealing too much about the plot (because it’s worth discovering for yourself) Tivoli Lovely contains everything you could possibly want in a musical: humour, pathos, murder, intrigue, romance, insurance fraud and a killer score. Warning: Eddie Perfect’s lyrics will live in your mind rent-free (note to WAAPA – please release an official soundtrack!).
Tivoli Lovely: songs hits the right emotional note
The bassy smoothness of The 11 Kevins performing a sultry number sets a high bar for the rest of the show, and the rest of the show delivers. From a comedically heartfelt ballad about finding another Kevin, to Kitty’s number about wanting to be ‘somebody to love’, every song hits the right emotional notes, with the theatrical sounds and musical styles of the 1950s superbly expressed throughout the score. Future musical classics include a villainous answer to Annie’s ‘Easy Street (Theatre is an Unsafe Place)’ and a catchy new contender for the Australian national anthem: ‘Australia is Riding on the Back of a Sheep’.
One particular Kitty/Christopher duet elicits a wave of bittersweet emotion, underlined by the heart-kick of older Kitty observing the memory as it plays out. This tearjerking moment transitions to a cheerful ensemble number on the train (when did those 30 chairs appear?) and the humour kicks back in.
The cast’s delivery of Perfect’s entertaining book makes this show hilarious, with humour ranging from Perth-specific commentary, visual gags, and Aussie-isms to subtle quirks of character and stand-out one-liners.
Tivoli Lovely: cohesively consistent
Caroline McKenzie and Zoe Davidson-Wall shine as Kitty and Charlotte respectively, embodying their well-written characters with attitude, flair, and empathy. Stephanie Graham is delightful as Young Kitty, displaying versatility in her ability to convey naïvety and emerging confidence alike in her depiction of a sweet showgirl with a penchant for dark humour.
Sebastian Cruse plays “Daddy” Kevin Watkins with magnetic charisma, Brendan Matthews is an endearing Christopher, and Christina Anastasiadis brings warmth and contagious energy to her portrayal of Kitty’s best friend, Maggie.
Olivia Chatto’s theatrical brilliance as the villainous Harriet Miller utilises an exaggerated Aussie accent to great effect. With a knack for physical comedy and a never-ending supply of cigarettes, Chatto is simply iconic.
Comic delivery and vocal prowess make Anabel Jamieson riotously funny as Princess/Queen Elizabeth, who steals the show more than once. Honourable mentions must also be made to Mimes with Dogs, Cop 1, Cop 2, and Danny the Magical Toilet Boy.
Jason Glenwright’s lighting design combines with Zara Stanton’s masterful music direction to create the perfect Tivoli vibe. The cast definitely do justice to both the incredible vocal arrangements, and to Kelley Abbey’s mesmerising choreography.
Dann Barber’s set and costume design are borderline genius. In seconds, the stage can triple in size, transforming from retirement home to variety show, and from loungeroom to mirrored dance studio. Young Kitty’s combination of wild wit and hopeful naivety are apparent in her costume design – every outfit features lots of white, with subtle (and not-so-subtle) leopard print – just one example of the layered consideration given to every detail of the show.
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For a production that boasts so much variety, it is cohesively consistent, and polished from start to finish. ‘Every story has an ending’ but you won’t want these curtains to close.
Tivoli Lovely, which has been developed through WAAPA’s Premier Visiting Artist Fund, is outstanding in every aspect. See it twice.
