In partnership with WAAPA
Two of the country’s brightest theatre minds have collaborated to bring a uniquely Australian story to the stage. “Tivoli Lovely” is a new musical written by Eddie Perfect (“Beetlejuice The Musical,” “Shane Warne: The Musical”) and directed by Malthouse Theatre’s Artistic Director, Dean Bryant (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “My Brilliant Career The Musical”).
Developed over three years at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with the graduating Music Theatre class of 2025, “Tivoli Lovely” tells the story of an ex-chorus girl who is teamed up with a troubled teen for a school assignment. Throughout the course of the student’s chat with 85-year-old Kitty, the story of Australia’s Tivoli circuit comes to life.
The resulting show is a hilariously black comedy and a love letter to Australia’s theatrical past. “Tivoli Lovely” is running for a limited season from Friday, November 7th to Friday, November 14th at the State Theatre Centre in Perth. With music direction by Zara Stanton (“Fangirls”), an ensemble cast of 40 and a live band, WAAPA alumni Perfect and Bryant have returned to the school where their musical theatre careers first began.
“At its heart, “Tivoli Lovely” is a dance musical about a Tivoli-Topping dance act called The Eleven Kevins, and what happens when one of them is killed in an on-stage accident and the name of the act no longer rhymes,” shares Perfect.
The musical is inspired by the stories from Australia’s Tivoli Circuit, which was the home of variety theatre acts from the 1890s until the 1960s (the advent of television resulted in its catastrophic decline). While the US had vaudeville performances and England had the music hall, the Tivoli Circuit was Australia’s own cultural export. At the height of their popularity, Tivoli performers were among the highest-paid in the entertainment business.
Local and international acts showcased opera, musical comedy, revue, ballet, and Shakespeare around the country. For Perfect, delving into the world of the Tivoli circuit felt like a moment to celebrate Australia’s cultural heritage.
“I think Australian audiences love to see themselves and their history celebrated on stage. We are funny, bold, idiosyncratic and baffling people, us Aussies. I think it’s important to tell our stories.”
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Perfect has spent the past ten years travelling between Australia and New York. The multi-award-winning performer uses this experience to apply what he has learned internationally to Australian stories.
“I love taking the Broadway form of the modern musical and using it to celebrate Australian culture. Writing songs and characters who speak in an Australian accent using Australian vernacular in a show that is set in Australia feels very powerful to me,” says Perfect.
Perfect shared his passion for the performer’s intriguing past with long-time collaborator and friend, Bryant. “I was pretty captivated by it,” says Bryant. “I knew of the Tivoli, but it was fascinating to learn about how it actually worked and the kind of acts they did.”
“Tivoli Lovely” has been described as “deeply Australian” in all of the best ways.
“It celebrates and pokes fun at our culture. It’s also about friendship and romance and resilience, so underneath the jokes, there’s a beating heart.”
“We are the products of our past,” says Bryant. “It’s clear that the Tivoli sensibility is what we best love about ourselves as cultural creators now.”
After three years of production made possible by the support and investment of the Minderoo Foundation, alongside WAAPA students, it’s nearly showtime for the comedy musical.
“We’ve seen [the students] grow up over three years, working on this material, bringing themselves and their ideas to the piece,” Bryant shares. “And yet, we’re really pushing them now, treating them as the professionals they’ll be next year, and giving them a taste of how hard you really have to work in the theatre business.”
Through real-world experiences (like working with esteemed alumni, Bryant and Perfect), the students at WAAPA are armed with an edge to set them up for their future careers.
Perfect shared his advice for any prospective musical theatre and acting students ahead of “Tivoli Lovely”.
“I would encourage acting students to use the supportive environment of drama school to take risks and push themselves. It’s also important to be curious and interested in everything, and to have an actual life. An actor is required to bring so many different characters and worlds to life, so it pays to have real-world experience.”
With eight performances of “Tivoli Lovely” scheduled for November, Australia’s entertainment history — and its future — is about to take centre stage.
“Tivoli Lovely” opens at the State Theatre Centre, Perth, in November. Get tickets now on the website.