As a kid growing up during the 90s, I remember when the clock struck 5 o’clock when ABC (Channel 2) would shift from their young audience programming to their more broader youth audience TV shows – the star being the TV adaptation to Paul Jennings’ iconic literary work: Round the Twist. Thanks to the efforts of Queensland Theatre and the musical’s creative team, audiences in Brisbane can experience the show as a musical, in the world premiere of Round the Twist the Musical at the QPAC Playhouse.
With the world premiere taking place last week, it was also host to a special reunion of cast members from the original series – including Robyn Gibbes (Fay, Seasons 1 and 2), Eamonn Kelly (Andrew, Season 2), Nick Mitchell (Tiger, Season 2), Cameron Nugent (Tiger, Season 1), Ben Thomas (Pete, Season 2), Jeffrey Walker (Bronson, Season 2), Tamsin West (Linda, Season 2), and Richie Young (James Gribble, Season 2).
This new Australian musical, written by Paul Hodge and directed by Simon Phillips, brings the quirky characters and eccentric storylines of the 1990s TV show to life. The production is based on the short stories of Australian author Paul Jennings and stays faithful to the show’s original spirit, with Jennings’ personal approval. The musical covers select episodes from the first two seasons of the series, features the original theme song by Andrew Duffield which is an absolute earworm you will be humming afterwards, and a suite of newly written songs..
Round the Twist the Musical will be performed at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Playhouse until 8 December 2024. Tickets can be booked via the QPAC website, or by phoning their box office during business hours on 136 246.
