The Lucky Country is short, sweet and doesn’t miss a beat. Co-created by Vidya Makan and Sonya Suares, The Lucky Country is an exploration of the multi-faceted identities that make up Australia.
The musical, running at just over an hour, is a perfectly balanced celebration and interrogation of our cultural past and present that looks forward to the future. It’s a proud and uplifting story that paints a vibrant portrait of Australia and our complicated and rich history.
The music takes clear inspiration from Aussie legends, with musical director Heidi Maguire crediting Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes as influences. There are obvious nods to both of these performers through certain songs. In particular, Footy and Beer for Jimmy Barnes, performed by Jeffrey Liu and Karlis Zaid, a match made in heaven.
At other times, I thought I heard musical references to other Australian icons, like Paul Kelly in Makin’ My Way to Byron Bay. Other numbers, such as I’m Not Doing It and It’s A New Day felt reminiscent of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, creating a striking parallel of reshaping a nation’s white-washed history. Subtle undercurrents like these connect with the audience before you can name what the feeling is.
Each number brings something new to the table, tonally, emotionally and thematically. What threads each song together is an overarching theme of identity: who is Australian and what makes someone so.
The show examines the Chinese, South Asian and African diasporas, as well as Australia’s problems with toxic masculinity, before grounding it all in First Nations’ mob and their connection to Country.
Many of the musical numbers contain major tonal shifts, laughing along with the audience, and then delivering a serious message at the end, tethering the performance to something real.
With a backdrop of vibrant animation, the cast adorns colourful linens and pared-back costumes, with a focus on characters who ooze with charisma.
Each member of the cast shines in their own way, with each solo perfectly catered to their strengths. Garret Lyon bookends the musical with his earnestness, opening the show alone with It’s A New Day, and closing the show with the whole cast.
Vidya Makan is hilarious in Hugh Jackman. It’s a number about tokenism and wanting to flip the script on racial stereotypes in Australian media.
Phoenix Jackson Mendoza is a powerhouse who steals the show in two of my favourite numbers of the night, Growing a Garden and I Could Kill Ya, showcasing a fantastic range of talent. Mendoza shifts seamlessly from playful and sweet as a young girl newly arrived in Australia from Congo, to fiercely comedic as she embodies both the allure and danger of the country itself.
These performances culminate in the beautiful crescendo Rise, easily the most powerful number of the night. Naarah commands the stage with incredibly strong, hopeful vocals. A live yidaki (didgeridoo), performed by Billy McPherson, thunders through your chest as the cast sing in unison. It’s a transcendent number, the kind of song that makes you proud to be Australian.
I was misty-eyed as the show came to an end and was reminded how lucky we are to be on the lands of the oldest living culture.
The Lucky Country wears its heart on its sleeve, inviting us to listen, learn, and celebrate the many voices that make up this place we call home.
The Lucky Country runs to 18 October at Southbank Theatre, The Lawler, 140 Southbank Boulevard Southbank.
It then runs at Brisbane Powerhouse as part of MELT Festival from 22 – 25 October.
Tickets: https://www.melbournefringe.com.au/whats-on/events/the-lucky-country
Website: https://www.luckycountrymusical.com/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/luckycountrymusical/
Photo credits: Jodie Hutchinson
