Ride the Cyclone is a genre-bending comedy musical, with highs and lows much like the ride itself.
Written in 2009 by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, it’s the story of six members of a small-town choir who all die in a freak rollercoaster accident. Summoned in the afterlife by a fortune-telling machine, they are made to plead their case for resurrection in the form of song.
Some attendees may recognise the musical from TikTok, where clips went viral in 2022 and gave rise to an international cult following.
In their director’s note, Kris Sergi shares the spirit of camaraderie and collaboration that went into this production, presented by Company of Dramatic Arts (CODA). This is vivid on stage, with the design and performances exuding a great deal of passion. Kris also deserves much credit and celebration for their work as producer and choreographer!
Ride the Cyclone is a musical full of earworms, with songs that really catch. This production is similarly full of talented artists, some just at the start of their careers, showing great promise.
The production really shines in the musical numbers. Every cast member hits the mark for their character, with soaring and confident vocals from Kayla Ingle-Olson’s teeth-gnashingly peppy What the World Needs, to Brock Cramond’s precise and sensual Noel’s Lament.
The ensemble supports each other with clear and expressive dance and movement to create tasty capsules of creativity.
Natalie Patterson’s performance as Jane Doe, particularly in The Ballad of Jane Doe, gave me whole-body chills. Beyond the excellent writing of the song itself, Patterson’s flawless vocals paired with inventive choreography made this an unforgettable moment.
Dialogue moments between songs fall flat, with the script showing its weaknesses and cast not quite finding the same rhythm, energy, and humour here that they apply so consistently to the songs.
Audio mixing near the start of the show impacted the clarity of the plot. In this show, there is quite a lot of context needed up the top if you’re not familiar with the mechanics of the story that you’re about to witness.
There are a few too many storytelling devices at work. There’s a fortune-telling machine narrator, slide-deck introductions for each character, spoken-word preludes, and the songs themselves. The repetition becomes predictable, with a missed opportunity to properly break this structure in line with the wit and surprises of the plot.
Costumes by Lexi Willis are tonally precise, with excellent embellished details emerging throughout the show to add to the world-building for each character’s song.
Scenic design by Kathryn Smith is detailed and fun, though some elements in their composition could have been stripped back from the focal point of the stage to provide greater clarity to the AV design. The inclusion of real photos of the cast in the character introductions is a thoughtful touch from AV Designer Robbie Alexander.
The use of a central revolve provided some moments of interest in staging, however by-and-large seemed an obstacle to organic and comfortable use of the stage by the performers.
Lighting by Tim Hope transported us for each song, from the red-light district of Paris, to outer space, to the yellows, pinks, and blues of a rainbow Paddle Pop for Sugar Cloud. Carnival string lights across the audience, while charming, impacted the high contrast needed in climactic moments by providing too much light in the auditorium.
Company of Dramatic Arts’ production of Ride the Cyclone is clearly a show made and performed with love, true to the moral of the story: life isn’t a game only one person can win, it’s a ride we’re all on together.
Ride the Cyclone is presented by Company of Dramatic Arts (CODA) and runs to 30 May at the Eternity Playhouse. 39 Burton Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010.
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/coda-ride-the-cyclone
Website: https://www.companyofdramaticarts.com/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/companyofdramaticarts/
Photo credits: Izzy Sergi
