★★★★★
Evil Dead The Musical is an uproariously, bloody camp time. It is the musical adaptation of Sam Raimi’s classic horror film Evil Dead, a film I remember attempting to watch years ago and never finishing because I thought it was too chaotic. After this musical, I cannot wait to give it another chance.
Evil Dead The Musical tells the story of Ash and his hodgepodge group of friends who holiday in an abandoned cabin in the woods. What could possibly go wrong in this foolproof situation you may be asking? Only accidentally awakening an ancient demonic spirit that inhabits the trees and possesses Ash’s friends one by one, of course.
A good adaptation should honour the original text but do everything it can to make the most of its new format. Evil Dead The Musical does exactly this. It takes the core storyline and same characters of the film, then blows it wickedly out of proportion to match the energy the stage begs. The characters poke fun at their stereotypes, point out the plot holes, but maintain the structure of jump scares, keeping the thrill of the original text alive.
The musical numbers are hilarious, with some of the most ridiculously silly lyrics I’ve heard. My cheeks hurt from laughing after a bunch of songs, especially Good Old Reliable Jake.
Another standout was Do the Necronomicon, a number that really showcases the skill of the band, the choreography and ability to balance comedy and spectacle.
Lochlan Erard’s choreography is playful and camp, a mixture of exaggerated posing and playing into the physicality of the demons, whilst still serving as genuinely well-constructed dance numbers.
The set is beautiful and crammed with practical effects that sang (at times, literally) as the demonic possession started to take over the house. There’s puppetry, rhythmically swinging pots and pans and a series of funny tricks to hide severed heads and hands.
Daniel Stoddart’s direction is a perfect match for this show. He has a fabulous sense of humour and clearly understands how to ring every joke out of an already stacked script.
Not one beat didn’t land; the audience is carried along for every moment. The dramatic pauses for the characters to strike a pose, along with the hilarity of exposition describing what happened only seconds before, Stoddart turns the show into pantomime, especially in the final act.
As the blood starts to spray, the whole audience is screaming along with the characters and demons, crying out in a chorus of moans and groans every time a demon just won’t die.
The cast is stacked, with every single actor bringing something unique to the stage. They don’t overcrowd, but instead create a harmony of heightened chaos.
Everyone is completely committed to creating beautiful anarchy, whilst still finding light and shade between their demonic selves and their regular selves. Together, the whole cast have impeccable comedic timing and exceptional chemistry.
Harley Dasey kills it as Ash, the hero; fearless, stoic and a total caricature of masculinity. He plays the straight man, morally and tonally, leading the cast into and out of chaos.
Grace Alston plays both Annie and Shelly and slips into both roles seamlessly. Emma Wilby as Cheryl embodies the demonic possession in such a surreal way. Her performance echoes that of other great demon characters, an amalgamation of Beetlejuice and Panzuzu from The Exorcist.
Jake Ameduri and Elaina Binachi, I had the privilege of seeing in American Psycho, also at Chapel Off Chapel, so I knew I’d feel safe the second they took the stage. Both Ameduri and Binachi have a keen understanding of taking the original text and running wild with it, amping the comedy to an almost absurdist level.
Harrison Riley sings my favourite song of the night as Reliable Jake, a hillbilly so endearing, it truly hurts to see him die. Oliver Clisdell is fun as Ed, but shines once possessed, pulling focus in many of the group numbers.
An essential part of the audience experience is signing up for the splatter zone. At the start of Act Two, the ushers hand out ponchos, and after a few songs into the second act, the blood starts to pour.
Be warned, anything the poncho does not cover will be totally blood-soaked. Behind us, a couple wore all white, with the intention of walking away with a dyed red look.
The only downside to the splash zone is once the blood starts flying, fight or flight takes over and through flinching and screaming, I missed a large portion of the final showdown.
Evil Dead The Musical feels like it’s made exactly for me. Ridiculous, hilarious, camp and chaotic, a comedy horror that pulls out all the stunts to keep upping the wonderful stupidity of it.
Oozing personality at every turn, Evil Dead The Musical reanimates the musical adaptation, breathing new life into a classic.
Evil Dead The Musical is presented by Stoddart Entertainment and runs to 12 April at Chapel off Chapel. 12 Little Chapel Street Prahran Vic 3181.
The season is almost sold out.
Tickets: https://chapeloffchapel.com.au/show/evil-dead-the-musical/
Website: https://evildeadmusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/evildeadmusicalau/
Photo credits: Peter Stoop
