There are few creative teams as well known as Starkid for their musical parodies, and whether you’re a fan of the YouTube famous production company, musical theatre, or raunchy parody’s of Disney property, Twisted is the show for you.
As South Australia’s premiere production of Twisted, it was a delight to see Adelaide’s rendition of the musical. While some of the harsh language was toned down, the cast clearly enjoyed playing with the humorous characters and making them their own.
Marie Clark Musical Theatre gathered together an exceptionally talented group of individuals to bring this hilarious, cheeky and whacky performance to life.
The show features everything from dance numbers, “subtly” sexual love songs, and puppets with unsettling grins. Twisted is truly a brilliant example of a parody musical that can, and will, pull on your heartstrings.
Twisting the classic tale of Disney’s Aladdin to the perspective of the well-meaning Royal Vizier, Ja’far, the play investigates the lives of Agrabah’s citizens and the stories of many side-characters. They even feature a few favourite characters from other Disney stories!
Do be aware however, that while this is a story based on a children’s tale, this is certainly a production meant for mature audiences. As, in true early 2010’s parody fashion, it contains strong language and adult themes.
From the talented ensemble to the main cast themselves, each actor on stage was brilliantly casted and sung well. While Axen Moen encapsulated the crazy and cocky Aladdin, Ben Todd belted out ballads and softened hearts with his portrayal of Ja’far. Though, The Princess (Sash Elliot) didn’t quite manage the more naive side of the character, she did pull off playing an entitled princess with a great singing voice.
Some hilarious highlights of the show were James Hester’s characterisation of the Sultan and Jasmyn Setchell’s facial expressions while puppeteering the Monkey. A few standout performances by the ensemble were by Thomas Lawson and Isabella Eddowes, with their powerful voices and various amusing characters.
It would be interesting to see the show with more Australian accents and truly make the production our own, but most of the cast managed the American and British accents used in the original play.
With a miniature cityscape on top of sand-dunes as a backdrop , simple props and impeccable costuming decisions, the stage was a delight to look at. Especially when combined with solid lighting and a brilliant live orchestra, it’s clear that the Marie Clark musical Theatre pulled together a capable team.
Unfortunately, the sound production was occasionally off. As some characters with lines either didn’t have a microphone at all or their mic stopped working, causing scenes to feel a tad unequal during both the dialogue and musical numbers. This was reasonably infrequent however, so didn’t detract from the show as a whole.
Located at Goodwood Theatre and Studio’s for its entire run, Twisted even utilises the stages screen in creative and fun ways. Being a decently sized venue also means the cast has more room to perform without being boxed in together during a full ensemble dance number.
It also means there’s more seats to fill with eager audience members.
So, whether you’re a fan of Starkid’s many cheeky productions, or a lover of Disney stories about dreams, wishes, and love, Twisted is certainly a must see this November.