★★★★★
Written by Terrence McNally and directed by Darko Tresnjak, this powerful production of Anastasia breathes potent new life into a beloved old tale. The award-winning creative team includes the composer and lyricist from the 1997 animated movie (a childhood staple to many) and features five songs from the film in addition to a score of new compositions.
Outstanding performances from a talented cast combine with world-class sets and decadent costumes to make Anastasia a memorable theatrical experience for Perth audiences.
The truth behind the fiction is more tragic than magic. The real Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov, youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexander, was born in Russia in 1901. Described as a clever and mischievous child, she was close with her siblings, Olga, Maria, Tatiana, and Alexei.
The five Romanov children (and their Imperial parents) were brutally murdered during the Bolshevik Revolution. Due to Soviet secrecy surrounding their deaths, rumours spread that Anastasia had survived the attack and would one day return to claim her birthright.
The real-life Anastasia was never found, although a series of impostors tried to claim her name and lineage. In 2007, DNA analysis confirmed that all members of the Romanov family had indeed been killed, including Anastasia. Luckily, this re-telling of her tale applies imagination to fact, elevating this story beyond the realm of history and into the happier world of speculative fantasy.
In this version, Anastasia (Georgina Hopson) does survive, but doesn’t remember who she is, or where she is from. With the help of fortune-seeking townspeople, Dmitry (Robert Tripolino) and Vlad (Rodney Dobson), she embarks upon a cross-continental journey of self-discovery and transformation.
Beginning in Russia and ending in France, this story of losing it all and getting it back (sort of) is simultaneously emotional and funny, without shying away from the darkness at the heart of its premise.
The show opens in St Petersburg in 1906, with snow falling beyond huge arched windows. Young Anastasia and her Nona, the Dowager Empress (Nancye Hayes), share a bonding moment as a tune – yes, that one – plays from a music box.
A time skip from childhood to adolescence transforms Anastasia’s bedroom into a grand ballroom with a celebration in full swing. The music intensifies, and silhouettes of soldiers appear before a blood-red sky. Tragedy ensues. The story has begun.
Georgina Hopson is mesmerising as Anastasia, walking a nuanced line between elegance and strength. Hopson’s voice is emotive and powerful, expertly capturing the cheeky spirit of her iconic character.
Dimitry and Vlad are an entertaining duo, each epitomising chaotic good in their uniquely flawed ways. Tripolino and Dobson are comedically charming in these roles, bringing depth and humour to inherently likable characters.
Joshua Robson is fantastic as Deputy Commissioner Gleb, the medalled autocratic spy who functions as the story’s main antagonist. More bureaucratic than fantastical, this sympathetic villain has his own backstory, motivation, and internal conflict to contend with, adding moral ambiguity to the narrative.
Crowd-favourite Rhonda Burchmore is vibrant as the droll Countess Lilly, whose movement, expression, and comic delivery are consistently captivating.
The Dowager Empress is portrayed beautifully by Nancye Hayes. She spends the latter majority clad in mourning black as she laments the loss of her family and is no longer able to withstand the constant crushing of her hope for Anastasia’s return.
Her despairing darkness contrasts with the warmth and affection she conveys in the opening scene, when all the Romanov’s are adorned in glittering white, and Anastasia is still by her side.
Anastasia’s glorious costumes, designed by Linda Cho, are partially inspired by Romanov family photographs utilising colour, fabric, and shape to great effect. One particularly powerful scene juxtaposes a stunning red dress (under white light) with stark white clothing (under red light) to underline both the repetition and subversion of a deeply personal history.
Anastasia’s costumes are designed with motion and spectacle in mind. Her versatile ‘peasant’ outfit (brown jacket, long blue skirt, and a belt for shape) simultaneously gives beggar and princess vibes, while the decadence of Anastasia’s Parisian dresses emphasises the extent of her change in circumstance.
The townspeople of Leningrad are both colourful and muted, with a palette reflecting the contradictory layers of their revolutionary context. In contrast to this, the Parisian costumes highlight cultural and narrative differences between France and Russia, emphasised by attention to lighting, set design, and choreographic influences.
Alexander Dodge’s set design draws on Russian and French art and architecture, combining projection with set pieces to create a stage that transforms in an instant. These projections aren’t the static backdrops you might imagine. They are cleverly composed to provide depth and dimension, in addition to functioning as aesthetic scenery.
Aaron Rhyne’s video design is crucial to the overall brilliance of Dodge’s dramatic design. From the dilapidated palace to a bureaucratic hellscape, artistic liberty is blended with realism to great effect, on a seemingly non-Euclidean stage.
One stand-out scene involves a moving steam train, synchronised to the motion of its accompanying projection. This is impressive enough, but when Anastasia attends the ballet, Dodge’s set design takes opulence to a whole new level, featuring balcony seats, velvet curtains, and a live performance of Swan Lake.
This cleverly choreographed homage to Russian ballet mirrors Anastasia’s basic plot (a missing princess) and thematic elements (personal transformation), whilst blending Tchaikovsky’s famous score with Anastasia’s own.
David Chase’s dance arrangements and Peggy Hickey’s choreography encompass various styles. Ranging from Russian ballet to the Charleston, an array of French and Russian influences are woven throughout.
Composer (Stephen Flaherty) and lyricist (Lynn Ahrens) feature five of the songs from the film in addition to new pieces, which incorporate Russian choral, ballet, and folk musical elements. The score builds atmosphere and carries the narrative with layered vocal arrangements and witty lyrics.
Stand-out songs include My Petersburg, which lays the groundwork for Dmitry’s character development, and Gleb’s sad song about the death of the Romanov children at the hands of his father.
The Countess and the Common Man delivers an entertaining subplot through the strength of Burchmore and Dobson’s lively performances. And of course, the haunting melody of the music box carries more than its fair share of weight. Just as Anastasia’s music box is the key to unlocking her memories, so too will the music of Anastasia unlock your emotions.
Light-hearted interactions and delightful dynamics take centre stage throughout most of this captivating tale, despite the sad premise upon which the story is built. This production is more nuanced and much heavier than the animated movie, but it is every bit as magical. Maybe even more so.
Anastasia the musical runs to 28 March at Crown Theatre Perth as part of a national tour. It then heads to Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. See full dates below.
Tickets: https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/tickets/perth/
Website: https://anastasiathemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiathemusicalau/
Photo credits: Jeff Busby
2026 Australian Tour Dates:
Perth 3 – 28 March, Crown Theatre
Sydney 7 April – 5 July, Lyric Theatre
Adelaide 2 – 23 August, Festival Theatre
Brisbane from September, Lyric Theatre QPAC
