Breaking the Musical review (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

Just days before its scheduled premiere in December last year, Raygun: The Musical was forced to cancel its run due to an intellectual property lawsuit. But not even something like a legal hurdle can keep a good performer down. Undeterred, writer Steph Broadbridge and her team reworked the story - about an Australian from Hornsby who ends up representing the country in breakdancing at the 2024 Paris Olympics - into a fully legal parody retelling suitably titled Breaking the Musical.

This revamped version is a wildly entertaining spectacle, packed with humour, catchy songs, and political commentary on the events leading up to the Olympics and their aftermath. We follow Broadbridge as Spraygun (because, of course, this is completely legal!) on her breakdancing journey of self-discovery and unexpected fame.

Broadbridge is joined by a stellar cast of comedians in supporting roles, with standouts including Anna Dooley as a French mime and Artie Gallagher as the props master, both providing plenty of laughs. Nikki Britton shines as the blunt, razor-sharp narrator, channelling some Rocky Horror Picture Show storyteller energy. While this is a comedy musical, it’s worth noting that these are comedians first and singers second, so vocal expectations should be tempered accordingly. Broadbridge may not be vocally the strongest, but this works endearingly in her favour and within the story, aligning with Spraygun’s status as an unlikely breakdancing star.

The original songs are guided by a loose musical theatre structure, with Spraygun delivering her I Want song early on. The score playfully shifts between genres, incorporating familiar musical hits from productions like Funny Girl, Wicked, and possibly the show’s highlight, a rousing nod to Rent.

Unfortunately, the production is plagued by sound issues of Olympic proportions. The opening suffers from multiple microphone failures and jarring distortions, that requires a full stop and reset. This resolves the worst of the problems, but Broadbridge’s microphone remains frustratingly low, making her dialogue, especially her vocals, difficult to hear over the live band. Other cast members also experience mic dropouts, often cutting off the start of their lines, resulting in punchlines and plot points hard to follow.

Despite these technical setbacks, Breaking the Musical is a riotously fun and inventive take on an already remarkable true story, proving that when one show gets shut down, another, one that is louder, funnier, and legally watertight, shall rise in its place.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: The Malthouse, 113 Sturt St, Southbank
Season: until 3 April | 6.45pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $34 Full | $29 Conc & Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival