REVIEW: Tivoli Lovely at the State Theatre Centre

Review by Emily Smith

Eddie Perfect’s new Australian musical Tivoli Lovely is the result of a three-year partnership between the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts and the Mindaroo Foundation. Perfect and Director Dean Bryant have worked with WAAPA students from their first to their final year to create this musical from the ground up. Set in 1954, the show brings to life the Australian tradition of the Tivoli Circuit, a travelling variety show, just before it was killed off by television.

The modern-day narrator of the Tivoli story is eighty-five-year-old Kitty and her interviewer, fifteen-year-old Charlotte, who is visiting Kitty's retirement home for a school project. Kitty is thrilled to be able to tell her story over a series of sessions, and the reticent Charlotte is quickly drawn in by the drama of Kitty’s beginnings in showbiz.

Caroline McKenzie and Zoe Davidson-Wall as Kitty and Charlotte provide a touch of heart to a very camp story, forming a friendship over their storytelling sessions that emboldens them to take control of their own narrative.

When she was fifteen Kitty was a Tivoli Lovely, one of the showgirls performing in the Tivoli Circuit. Kitty’s apartment in the retirement home is overtaken in the first act by showgirls two-stepping out of her memories. Designer Dann Barber has not held back on the feathers and flounce, and the show is almost worth seeing for the costumes alone. No spoilers, but the sheep shearing number had me in stitches.

The drama of Kitty's story centres on the headlining Tivoli act, The 11 Kevins. The murder plot that drives the story forward is silly and camp, not lingering on the gory details. As Kitty says, "we didn't believe in trauma back then. You just shoved it down and hoped you'd forget about it." 

The Kevins were a crowd favourite on opening night, and their song ‘When You're a Kevin’ will be stuck in my head for a while. Kelley Abby's choreography made every song a visual feast and the dancers were on top form. 

Stephanie Graham as young Kitty has a sweet charm and a gorgeous voice, as do all the Lovelies, who grace the stage with the confidence of showgirls who have been touring for years, rather than students in their final year.

Graham's chemistry with her love interest, the Kevin known as 'Bubs' (Brendan Matthews), was heartwarming, and Matthews distinguished himself as a triple threat to watch out for. 

This black comedy wouldn’t be complete without some camp villains, and Sebastian Cruse as ‘Daddy’ Kevin Watkins, Olivia Chatto as Producer Harriet, and Kimberly Rose as Head Rigger Bridget delivered with their song ‘The Theatre is an Unsafe Place.’ The three of them on stage together guaranteed laughter, and Harriet's strong twang of an Aussie accent was delightful to hear her lean into. 

Barber’s set design is gorgeous and ambitious, and under Bryant's direction each scene change (and there are many) went off without a hitch. There's not a moment where something interesting wasn't happening, and the backstage crew worked just as hard to keep it all flowing, often moving large sets within the scene while in character with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths. The gorgeous Tivoli arch worked seamlessly with Jason Glenwright’s lighting design to denote onstage and off and often moved us quickly between the two.

The band, made up of WAAPA students led by Zara Stanton, were fantastic. Each number was tight, rambunctious and fun. I hope the soundtrack gets recorded someday as I would love to listen to them again and enjoy the lyrics properly.

The couple of small issues with the sound mixing and with the microphones will surely be fixed up a few more shows into the run. 

Eddie Perfect has created a musical that celebrates the history of Australian theatre while looking forward to its future. It’s light on plot and heavy on filler, but oh how fun that filler is. The young stars both on stage and off have created something that will endure not just as a highlight of their early careers but also as an icon of Australian art. The Perth-specific references were also much appreciated.

Tivoli Lovely closes at the State Theatre Centre on the 14^th November so if you like tap dancing, showgirl outfits, musical numbers, and/or murder, quick-step your way to the box office and buy your tickets now.

Image Credit: Stephen Heath