Posted: July 2011
Instinct Entertainment in association with McLaren House officially announced today that the new, all Australian musical, Strange Bedfellows will open at The Princess Theatre, Melbourne in October this year.
Based on the hit 2004 film of the same name that starred Paul Hogan and Michael Caton, Strange Bedfellows was the highest grossing Australian film of the year, winning the IF Box Office Achievement Award and going on to win Best Film at the Toronto World of Comedy film festival and selling extensively around the world.
Strange Bedfellows will star John Wood (Blue Heelers) and Peter Cousens, (The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon) as the unlikely couple, Ralph and Vince and feature Lucy Durack (Wicked, MAMMA MIA!), Melissa Langton (We Will Rock You) and Kevin Harrington (Underbelly, Neighbours, SeaChange) with details of the full cast to follow.
In the idyllic Australian township of Yackandandah, local mechanic Ralph Williams enjoys the quiet life. A widower since the death of his beloved wife Maggie, Ralph is known and loved by all for his dependable nature and willingness to always lend a hand.
His best mate, and ideas man, Vince Hopgood, runs the old cinema. Due to the manipulations of his bitter ex-wife, has been hit with a massive tax bill and is ruined till he spots a newspaper headline - the government has passed new legislation giving same-sex couples equal tax breaks to married folk.
After days of pleading and some begging, Vince persuades Ralph that they should register as a same-sex couple - they can pool their incomes and even create a family trust - to clear Vince's tax bill. The best bit, only the Tax Department will ever know!
Two weeks later another letter, an investigator is coming to audit their claim.
Suddenly, Ralph and Vince, two blokes who don't know if they've ever met a gay person, two blokes who still aren't convinced Rock Hudson really was gay, now have a week to learn how to pose as a loving homosexual couple in a small town that knows them as anything but. This is going to call for some fancy footwork.
[ READ MORE ]
After numerous approaches from international companies to turn the film into a musical, the producers decided to keep the show Australian and develop it locally to take on the world, bringing together the formidable creative talents of composer John Foreman (Sydney Olympics, Australian Idol) and writer Dean Murphy (Charlie & Boots, Strange Bedfellows, the film).
"Being a Melburnian, it is very exciting to start this show here at the iconic Princess theatre. We are very proud of the cast we have assembled and in particular being able to introduce many people to the brilliant comic timing of John and Peter. This show is something special and we can't wait for audiences to see it.", said Producer, Spencer McLaren.
Writer/Producer, Dean Murphy added, "When originally writing the movie Strange Bedfellows, we fantasized about it one day being the basis for a musical. But I don't think in my wildest dreams I would have envisaged it coming together with such incredible music, an amazing crew and a cast to die for. The show is really something".
Strange Bedfellows is unique as it brings to life characters we know and love, a setting we've either lived or visited and the humour is our very own. The success of such crowd pleasing, home grown hits as The Boy From Oz, Shout and Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert, demonstrates that Australian audiences are keen to embrace their stories told with humour, warmth and a little dose of razzle dazzle.
Strange Bedfellows is being directed by Roger Hodgman (MTC, Guys & Dolls, City Homicide) with Musical Direction by Kellie Dickerson (Wicked, Dr Zhivago) and Choreography by Dana Jolly (We Will Rock You, The Producers).