Musicals
With brilliant composers Michael Patterson and Adrian Szondy, I’ve written several high school musicals. They’re published by Maverick Musicals and have enjoyed performances across the UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
The Good, the Bad & the Phugly
High School Spoof-ical
RetroActive
Lucky
You’re History!
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE PHUGLY* (*PHENOMENALLY UGLY)
2011, 105 mins
There are big laughs, wild characters, toe-tapping songs and oodles of audience participation in this wicked new musical whodunit.
When a rotten prank spells disaster during a royal visit to St Strap Secondary, Principal Smackett blows a gasket. She sentences the usual suspects to a detention rebooting every piece of classic literature from Narnia to The Wizard of Oz.
Sherlock Holmes goes hip-hop, Oliver Twist plans a prison break, Kiwi pirates raid Treasure Island and vampires attack in Pride and Prejudice!
In Act Two, the audience is asked to vote by text… which suspect did the prank? The show features a different ending each night, and a surprise twist.
For more info, or to purchase the script, email Dynamite.
HIGH SCHOOL SPOOF-ICAL
2009, 100 mins
Welcome to Sweet Valley High, a perfect world of perfect Disney teens. It’s an all-American school full of every clique imaginable – jocks, cheerleaders, eggheads, emos, homies and even redneck yokels!
Meet Zak Teflon and Vanessa Huggins, two spotless little angels who are planning to unleash their extraordinary talents upon the high school musical. But when a redheaded exchange student named Rufus arrives on campus, things suddenly become terribly undisneyfied. With an upcoming visit from the American President, can egghead Scarlett save the day and recapture the Disney spirit? It’s a musical phenomenon filled with romance, magic, and god-awful singing! It’s High School Spoof-ical!
Listen: Disney Kidz
Listen: High School Spoofical
Quotes
“The show was nothing short of awesome. Honestly, I couldn’t get over how professional it was, and furthermore how witty it was! I loved it, all the subtleties in costume design, the kids’ lines, the jokes, the music! What a performance!” Anna, audience member
“High-School Spoofical was perfectly pitched for our students and audiences. It is clever, witty and cheekily irreverent. Anyone who has ever cringed when watching another ‘Disney’ movie, will LOVE this show. Any director looking for a show in which every single performer gets a character name and their own line or two will LOVE this show – it has something for everyone!” Annabel Meek, Director, Geelong Grammar School
“One of the most enjoyable productions I have seen in the 28 years of my teaching career. Such a professional, energetic, passionate, humorous and engaging musical! I am still laughing at some of the jokes and many of the performances. The energy was tremendous and the audience loved every minute of it.” Charlie Scudamore, Head of Corio, Geelong Grammar School
“It was so good, my face hurt after the show from laughing so much!” Petra, audience member
For more info, or to purchase the script, visit Maverick Musicals.
RETROACTIVE
2008, 90 mins
Rock’n’rollers, hippies, disco-dancers, yuppies, emos and rappers perform a groovadelic celebration of pop culture. It’s hip, it’s fast, it’s fun and it’s funny… it’s RetroActive!
Showcasing six decades – the 50s to the noughties – this is a visually stunning nostalgic spectacular. Your wardrobe department will relish the opportunity to break out the flares, shoulder pads and big wigs!
This zippy, fun script is chock-full of hilarious bite-sized sketches. There’s a royal soap opera, a hip-hopping Harry Potter and a children’s show hosted by emos!
RetroActive will knock the socks off audiences of all ages with a glittering showcase of songs from the 50′s to the noughties!
For more info, or to purchase the script, visit Maverick Musicals.
LUCKY
2006, 100 mins
Vibrant, colourful and uproaringly funny, Lucky is without a doubt the quintessential Australian school musical.
Lucky and Byron are young Australian filmmakers passionately devoted to turning our history and heritage into an epic motion picture. But when sleazy producer Dingo steals their baby, the script is hawked to Hollywood and cultural sensitivity goes out the window in favour of box office bonanza.
Ned Kelly becomes a shoot-em-up action hero, the Eureka Stockade turns kung fu, The Man from Snowy River goes comic book superhero, and undead zombie schoolgirls invade a picnic at Hanging Rock.
With an extraordinarily embarrassing premiere looming, Lucky races the clock to convince her fellow filmmakers that Aussie culture is worth fighting for!
Quotes
“Thank-you very much for writing the script ‘Lucky’. I had a lot of fun performing it and none of it would have happened without your extensive research of Australian history and your wonderful sense of humour.” Charlie (Lieutenant Commander Cruelheart)
“Thank-you so much for sharing your story. This year’s script was marvellous. I read it the first night I got it. Each character had a bright and enthusiastic personality, which us year 7 & 8s fit into perfectly. The script guaranteed non-stop laughs.” Daniel (Jack, Police Commando)
“Totally overwhelming! The music, the dance and the sheer presence of the piece (despite being done on a reasonable budget) was simply extraordinary. Australians never get to see Australian history and culture being dealt with in such a fun, clever and entertaining way.” James, audience member
“What a beautifully uplifting production. Loaded with passionate scenes from Australian history, but uproaoringly funny! Dame Molly was spectacular and the Banjos brought the house down.” Marney, audience member
“The play was hilarious. One of my sister’s friends came and she thought, ‘Oh no, a school play!’ but afterwards she was crying from laughing so much.” Prue (Zombie Miranda)
For more info, or to purchase the script, visit Maverick Musicals.
YOU’RE HISTORY!
2005, 100 mins
When a nerdy teenager turns a portable classroom into a time machine, a mischievous detention class is sent hurtling back through history!
The time-warped team discover vicious Vikings, pilates-practicing Pirates, disco-happy Gladiators, a rapping Romeo and Juliet and the infamous Oedipus on Jerry Springer.
With parallels between hierarchical history & today’s schoolyard, here is a rollicking musical chock-full of wonderful characters, historical mayhem and sensational songs – a hip, intelligent production that will rock the house!
Quotes
“The accolades continue to flow and a number of parents have hailed it as the best theatre they have ever seen!” Annabel Meek, Director, Geelong Grammar School
“The play and the script was outstanding. I don’t know how you did it. It was both clever and funny.” Joshua (Sophocles)
“Thank-you sooo much for writing such a fun and exciting script! I think that it was really important that you included lots of speaking parts so that if you didn’t get a main you could still have a major in one scene!” Rosie (Greek Cheerleading Chorus)
“The play was so awesome! I had so much fun and wish it wasn’t over! We should go on tour or something. Everyone I talked to absolutely loved it including me! Thank-you EVER so much!” Sabrina (Queen Jocasta)
For more info, or to purchase the script, visit Maverick Musicals.
