“This highly anticipated musical, absolutely not based on anyone in real life, has finally made its debut… but was it worth the hype?”
Alana Kaye
3.5 Stars
The Garage International, Adelaide Town Hall
28 Feb – 02 Mar
Adelaide Fringe Festival
This highly anticipated musical, absolutely not based on anyone in real life, has finally made its debut… but was it worth the hype?
Breaking The Musical was written by Steph Broadbridge, who also stars in the show. It combines an ensemble of people who have banded together to find answers to the question, “How did an Australian breakdancer from Hornsby make it to the 2024 Paris Olympics?”
We all know who this parody is based on. I mean, the character’s name is literally Spraygun. The creative team aren’t shy in telling us about their legal battles since the show’s inception, but against all odds, here it is – and it’s “completely legal”.
The script is pretty witty overall, and does deliver some bangers. There are original songs as well as some great pop culture references from Rent, Hamilton, Funny Girl and more.
But the dismal tech issues and clumsy physicality keep it from soaring. The sound balance was off, mics dropped in and out, the crooked projector kept defaulting to the homescreen, and pitch black transitions made for painfully long breaks while the actors tried to safely navigate the stairs to get off stage. The whole thing had a year 12 drama project feel about it.
However, through all that, you can feel the passion dripping off the cast. They really love this show they’re a part of, and the comment “We learned a lesson; what happens to art when only rich people get attention” really rings true.
I think Breaking The Musical can thank its sold out popularity to its subject matter. Everyone in Australia knows the story, and most people know about the unfortunate circumstances surrounding this show.
Will this be the first musical based on an unlikely iconic Aussie athlete? (Stephen Bradbury The Musical, I’m looking at you.) No. But will it be the last? Also probably no.
Missed it in Adelaide? You can catch it in Melbourne in April, and in Sydney in May. If this show has time to tidy and tighten before these next runs, it might have a shot.
Alana Kaye, Theatre Now
