Building on the success of their revival of Miracle City, Luckiest Productions are set to bring the 1940s/50s set Only Heaven Knows to the Hayes Theatre Co‘s Potts Point stage next year.
Following Tim, a teenage playwright who leaves his intolerant family in Melbourne for the bright lights of Sydney’s Kings Cross, Alex Harding’s play explores the vibrant, expressive lifestyle of the post-war city, and how that bohemian vibe gave way under the hostilities of the Menzies administration.
“I think this is one of the most important Australian musicals that has been created,” said Luckiest Productions David Campbell, who starred in the sold out 1995 revival. “I’ve never experienced such a simple show having such a visceral impact. While it so vibrantly paints the past, it speaks to us about today”.
The cast includes Hayden Tee, recently returned from a Broadway run as Javert in Les Miserables, Miracle City‘s Blazey Best, and Matthew Backer, in his Hayes Theatre Co debut. The lead role of Tim will be cast over the coming months.
Musical supervisor Daniel Edmonds will swap big name productions such as King Kong and Strictly Ballroom for the smaller stage, while Shaun Rennie will direct, following successful productions of Rent and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.
“Having long felt that Only Heaven Knows was an ideal fit for The Hayes, I am thrilled to be working with Luckiest Productions to reexamine this classic Australian Musical,” said Rennie. “With it being set in and around the streets of Kings Cross, it is a unique and rare thrill to get to work on a story that is so deeply entrenched in this city we love. At its heart Only Heaven Knows is about community and the family we choose. By looking back it reminds us of how far we have come, but also forces us to see how far we have yet to go”.
Only Heaven Knows will open at Hayes Theatre Co on May 26th and will run until July 1st. For more information, please see the Hayes Theatre Co website.
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