Review: The Lucky Country, Southbank Theatre

Review by Susanne Dahn 

Home grown musicals are rare and precious in our country and this one is indeed a jewel. In fact it’s a whole box of jewels, but more on that later. 

The Lucky Country is a playful, heart filled, very entertaining but also thought provoking chamber musical that explores what and who we are as a nation through the perspectives and voices of those usually on the margin in mainstream representation.

The Lucky Country premiered at Hayes Theatre Co back in 2023, is now in Melbourne with Melbourne Fringe and will move on to Brisbane for MELT Festival.

Vidya Makan (who brings a rich pedigree as a lead performer in both Hamilton and Six) is the composer and lyricist of The Lucky Country and this production showcases her as an exciting Australian talent in the creation of fresh independent Australian musical theatre. 

The pieces are funny and imaginative, with rollicking scores that nod to some classic Aussie musical icons and with lyrics replete with quite wonderful pace and phrasing - it’s well worth trying to catch every word. 

As well as Makan the show features an ensemble of diverse and talented performers (Karlis Said, Jeffrey Liu, Phoenix Jackson Mendoza, Garret Lyon, Naarah and Billy McPherson), a five-piece band (including a didgeridoo) and a very clever animated projected backdrop that helps contextualise each musical number. 

Directed by Sonya Suares The Lucky Country evolved from a three year collaboration with Makan, and Suares brings the twin charms of a superficial simplicity combined with powerful truth telling to the work. 

Dance and movement are expertly woven in to the work with Garret Lyon’s indigenous dance moves a standout especially in Rise as is the slow-mo by Naarah, Mendoza and Makan in Footy and Beer. 

The ensemble pieces such as Dusty Esky are a delight though the stronger musical pieces emerge as the show progresses with Hugh Jackman a clear winner and I Could Kill Ya a candidate for classic show hit. 

Another strength of the show is in reaching out with inclusiveness to indigenous host communities and, in the case of the Melbourne season, incorporating a very moving chorale of Ngulu Nganjin (Everybody’s Voice) brilliantly led by Naarah. 

The characters in The Lucky Country include an Aboriginal boy confronted with colonist whitewashing at school, refugees without land to grow a garden, Contiki tour members and footy mates who might have found love, a Russian choir from Mullumbimby with a limited repertoire, a Chinese restaurant owner who wants to be a Byron Bay nudist, a victim of sexual assault, and an aspiring actress who is typecast by her colour. 

If this sounds a bit all over the place, it is. This is a mosaic musical of numerous sparkling pieces; a mix tape musical of different styles; a patchwork revue of lively musical sketches, songs and dances. 

It’s missing just one thing if it’s to truly be a musical and not a revue, and that is a cohesive narrative arc. Every great musical introduces us to the main character/s and what they are seeking and then narrates forward to tell their story. 

If the creator wants a story of Australia where everybody’s voice can be one The Lucky Country has this potential.  It would require some editing out and/or more stitching together for a full musical theatre complement of numbers to become a single story. 

Meanwhile the show will glitter as a jewel box of original independent Australian musical theatre. 

Image Credit: Jodie Hutchinson