Printable CopySHANE WARNE: THE MUSICAL
Segue Productions
The Parks Theatre
Until 21 Feb 2020

Review by Doug Phillips

It must be said straight up that this production has been let down. We’re not here to lay blame, but the hard work this cast and production team have put in is undermined by the fact that a lot (way too much) of the show was unintelligible. Whether that’s an equipment fault or the venue itself, I can’t tell. But for most of the performance it was impossible to make out what was being sung.

The spoken dialogue was perfectly clear. No problem at all. Plus it was very witty, clever, and well delivered. Buddy Dawson is perfectly cast as the iconic Shane Warne in this hilarious story of one of Australia’s best loved larrikins. Although not looking overly much like Warnie, his portrayal was comical, precise, and easy to immerse yourself into.

The song lyrics we could make out were hysterical. Audience members were left with a great feeling of regret at only being able to make out a minority of the jokes, but the ones that could be understood were met with raucous laughter and smiles.

Brian Godfrey's direction was considered and fun, with the same to be said for the choreography, and all well executed by the cast. Good attention to detail has been paid throughout and it pays off.

The band does a great job of pumping out all the different musical styles. Well led by Ben Stefanoff, the sound was tight and loud.

A great performance from a talented production team, orchestra, and cast. With better audio, it’d be hard to find fault with Segue Productions’ season of “Shane Warne: The Musical”.

Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)

Brian Godfrey is a review for Adelaide Theatre Guide.