It may be more than thirty years since Hedwig and the Angry Inch first burst onto the scene, but John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s crazily original concept has not lost an inch of its relevance.
Since its off-Broadway debut, Hedwig and the Angry Inch has taken multiple forms. An evolving workshop first performed at New York City’s drag punk Squeezebox, it then opened off-Broadway in 1998. The 2001 film adaptation, directed by Mitchell, initially made little noise. It found a fervent following with its DVD release, rocketing to cult status worldwide. By 2014, Hedwig was back on stage, sweeping up multiple Tonys, including Best Revival of a Musical.
With their Australian revival, co-directors Shane Anthony and Dino Dimitriadis make it clear from the moment you step into the auditorium that this is not a recreation of the Broadway phenomenon. It is a gritty, glamorous return to its dive-bar roots.
Jeremy Allen’s set surrounds the four-piece band with a circular platform just spacious enough for Hedwig and the cast to strut around. It is crowned by an ascending staircase, gorgeously encased in a shimmering cocoon of draped fabric. Showcased at Sydney’s Carriageworks, the intent to resurrect that raw, underground vibe is palpable.
From the moment Seann Miley Moore stomps onto the stage in their fabulous, glitter-encrusted boots, their Hedwig commands attention with flooring vocals. Miley Moore’s voice is a captivating blend of sombre richness and an exhilarating tone. The effect is utterly moving.
Trask’s lyrics, absolutely brilliant, are brought to vivid, visceral life by Miley Moore’s infectious energy. Thanks to Katie-Louise Nicol-Ford and Lilian Nicol-Ford’s costume design, Hedwig’s boots are perfectly paired with a deconstructed, yet incredibly sexy, patchwork denim ensemble. The clothes give Hedwig ample room to move yet ensure she’s impossible to miss. And of course, no Hedwig would be complete without THAT wig: those blonde wings which have made her look truly iconic. Honestly, Hedwig has never looked so good.
Initially, the glam-trash scale might seem to tilt a little too heavily towards the glam side. It is hard to resist the urge to smudge that gorgeous sky-blue eye shadow or smear a touch of that glittering red lipstick. So, when Miley Moore first leaps off the stage during Sugar Daddy, showering themselves with a freshly snatched audience member’s drink, there’s a delicious sense of satisfaction washing over the crowd.
Jumping from lap to lap, pashing a couple of supposedly innocent spectators in the process, this is when Hedwig truly arrives. The make-up begins to run, the sweat glistens. She’s unapologetically messy, with more emotions pouring out of her than you can possibly cope with.
Looking to flee East Berlin, Hedwig is presented with a golden ticket to the USA. The price? Only a few inches of manhood. It should have been the full six, to be precise, but as she vividly recounts, a botched surgery left Hedwig with an “angry inch” of flesh. She does make it to the United States, only to be left behind and ultimately betrayed by her true love, Tommy Gnosis. He shamelessly steals her songs, becoming the rock star she’d dreamed of being.
There is a lot to convey with very little room to hide. Miley Moore is on stage for the entire ninety minutes, a gargantuan feat of energy and endurance. They barely stop to catch their breath, delivering multiple characters, accents, and voice changes whilst killing it song after song.
Adding to the trash component, a successful Hedwig demands plenty of sassy audience interaction. Mitchell’s text comes with ample material for Miley Moore to lean on, including a fresh raft of witty contemporary additions. But raunchy ad-libs are not just expected, they’re a must-have. It is when Miley Moore fully lets Hedwig take over that they shine the brightest. They turn moments intrinsically unique to a specific performance into perfectly timed zingers.
Providing much-needed balance to Miley Moore’s attention-consuming Hedwig, Adam Noviello is a revelation as Hedwig’s husband, Yitzhak. With only a few lines interspersed throughout, Noviello’s cynicism is perfectly on point.
Poor Yitzhak is no longer allowed to perform in drag. The risk of upstaging the one and only Hedwig is simply too high. Noviello conveys that suppressed angst beautifully. When they finally get to explode on stage in full drag pride, it is a poignant moment that truly strikes to the core.
Yitzhak’s metamorphosis couldn’t better complement Hedwig’s inverse journey. As Miley Moore unpeels layer after layer, throwing the blonde wings away, Noviello delivers an equally moving performance. By the show’s end, exhaustion is etched on their face, reflecting the toll this short but intense journey must take on the actor. It is a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience required to truly embrace what it means to be fully human.
Bringing all the required punk energy, the band, led by Victoria Falconer, is perfectly on point. At times lending themselves as characters in Hedwig’s vignettes, they provide another dose of essential human interaction. Hedwig abuses them, but also absolutely adores and respects them. It is an effective and touching dynamic.
For its strong desire to bring us back to the original Hedwig, choosing Carriageworks as its stage certainly delivers on the raw and gritty side. It does, however, also present a gigantic space to fill. Geoff Cobham’s lighting design goes a long way in framing the circular platform, creating some much-needed intimacy.
Seeing how long it takes a disgusted Hedwig to run away from the stage, it is tempting to wonder how the same production might come to life in a much more intimate space. But then we would miss out on the glorious supersized moments, like when the space is filled with flying balloons and glitter.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is not a conventional show, and newcomers to the material might find it a lot to take in. But by stripping it back to its core and performing with impeccable rawness, this production could not be better timed.
Whether one fully absorbs all of the content and its heart-wrenching originality in one go is beside the point. What truly matters is the compelling display of humanity. And the much-needed reminder of the crucial importance of protecting our fundamental right to be different.
That reminder was made all the more special on opening night, with Stephen Trask himself taking to the stage. In an encore performance, he led the full company in an incredibly moving encore of The Origin of Love. For the many Hedwig fans there, the evening could not have ended on a more powerful note.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch runs to 3 August at Sydney’s Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street Eveleigh.
Tickets: https://carriageworks.com.au/events/hedwig-and-the-angry-inch-2025/
Website: https://hedwig.com.au
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/hedwigaus/ and https://www.instagram.com/carriageworks/
Photo credits: Eugene Hyland
