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Herald Sun
The Groggy Squirrel
Arts Hub
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The Age. Friday October 10th 2008
Panning for comedy gold
By Margaret Paul
COMEDY
Beaconsfield: The Musical

By Dan Ilic, the Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne.

If Dan Ilic’s Beaconsfield: The Musical is a parody, designed to savage the media circus surrounding the 2006 mine collapse, then this week Ilic has certainly played ringleader.
As talkback switchboards lit up around the country I swear I could hear him calling, “roll up, roll up”, while a small dog wearing a party hat rode an electric car at his feet.
Inside The Butterfly Club, the media circus continues. References to the mine tragedy are kept to a minimum, and the show is packed with punchlines from behind the headlines. There is some gentle fun to be had at the expense of the Launceston Knitting Club and some light hearted dialogue between the miners playing “I spy” in the dark but, on the whole, Ilic and his gang are far more interested in panning for comedy gold amid the race for ratings gold. And, judging by the cacophony of laughs, the have struck it.
Ilic’s impersonation of Sunrise host David “Kochie” Koch had the enthusiastic crowd roaring with delight, and similar responses came from the portrayal of former Channel Nine boss Eddie “Everywhere” McGuire and former AWU secretary Bill “I’m going to be prime minister” Shorten. This is a self-aware, media savvy sketch comedy.
Beaconsfield: The Musical begins as a slick, pacy musical comedy. Nigel Ubrihien’s exuberant music is accomplished and fun, and the ensemble cast all give strong performances in an impressive array of familiar faces. In particular, the effervescent Kate McLennan shines in he many roles, from local knitter to music television host.
The pace slowed as the show progressed, and it became obvious that it was under-rehearsed and in need of a polish. However, this controversial musical maintains a good sense of fun. It is more than fools’ gold.

Herald Sun. Thursday October 9th 2008
Beaconsfield show right on target
Review by Roger Franklin

There is a species of joke that comes with a guilt-edged smile, the sort that makes you say “Oh, that’s awful” even as you try to suppress a fit of giggles.
If that was what writer Dan Ilic wanted when he penned Beaconsfield: The Musical, give him credit for half measure of success.
The controversial, show, which opened last night at the tiny Butterfly Club in South Melbourne, get the laughs down pat.
But rather than lampooning Todd Russell and Brant Webb, which is what the advance work said, the show’s real targets turn out to be far more deserving of satirical darts. Bill “next prime minister” Shorten. Eddie McGuire, all cop repeated blasts.
Even 60 Minutes’ Richard Carleton probably wouldn’t have objected to the song that marks his on-stage death.
The fun that Ilic and his talented performers make the Tasmanian backwater is gentle and good-natured.
Larry Knight, who died in the mine collapse, isn’t mentioned, and the scenes where Todd and Brant while away the dark hours underground show neither survivor any disrespect.
Shorten, McGuire and Robson should be so lucky.

The Groggy Squirrel
Beaconsfield The Musical
Colin Flaherty – 10 October 2008
http://www.thegroggysquirrel.com/articles/2008/09/24/2008-m/Beaconsfield-The-Musical/

After much uproar in the daily media, Beaconsfield The Musical opened to packed houses for its short run during Fringe. Much of the concern was how the show would portray the miners and town of Beaconsfield but they needn’t have worried. It was a hilariously tongue in cheek look how ordinary people coped when an huge incident is thrust upon them along with ravenous outside forces from outside.

The scenes in the mine were a silly look at the monotony of being in a confined space which wasn’t bogged down in too much gallows humour. The townsfolk however weren’t shown in such a positive light as they were portrayed as opportunistic in a cute CWA manner. The real targets of the play were the media and certain political figures with their attempts at milking the situation for all it was worth. These characters were very much cartoon figures with every stereotype and fact, both rumoured and true, exploited to make the ridicule so much easier to digest. I was particularly impressed with the inclusion of references to other moments of infamy in these public figure’s lives to further mock them. Naomi Robson’s lizard companion played by a puppet was especially impressive.

There was plenty of deconstruction of the show itself with witty references to the recent controversy and the closing number that included the line “No one will care in 2008”. It made you wonder how much of it had been rewritten to both quell and capitalise on the outrage or were some of these sentiments in the original script. Aside from the title charge (it was now ”...in no particular key”) the edginess of the material seemed to have survived intact.

The cast of six worked wonders in utilising the tiny stage of The Butterfly Club. The constant retreating to the front row when an actor was not involved in the action gave the show a frenetic pace as everyone threw themselves into the multiple roles required of each performer. Dan Ilic, Kate McLennan, Toby Truslove and Amanda Buckley handled the many roles without the need for costuming and using the slightest change in gestures to bring the characters to life. Special mention goes to Robbie McGregor who chewed up the scenery with brilliant portrayals of the Narrator, David Mott and Richard Carlton. Pianist Nigel Ubrihien added the odd humourous comment as well as providing wacky backing vocals.

In addition to the live piano, recorded music and sound effects played a role in the show. The house music before and after the show were appropriate and humourous. The sound of dripping combined with the darkened stage transported us into the mine. Projected slides were also used to set some scenes but their positioning high above the stage (due to the size of the venue) diverted your view from the on stage action at times.

Beaconsfield was a brilliant show that had the audience howling at every line. It may have been self described as poorly rehearsed but this was one highly polished piece of musical theatre/comedy.

ARTS HUB!
By David Allen Arts Hub
Dates: Wednesday 8 to Sunday 12 October
Times: Thurs – Sat at 9.00 pm Wed and Sun at 8.00 pm
Ticket price: $25 full / $20 concession and for groups of 8 or more
Duration: 50 mins approx
More info: www.beaconsfieldmusical.com

Following a media frenzy rivaled only by that of its subject material, Beaconsfield: The Musical opened (in no particular key) on Wednesday night at Melbourne's home of cabaret and small-venue theatre, The Butterfly Club.
A riotous hour of musical comedy, the show had audiences rolling with laughter for its clever and insightful take-off of Australian media - particularly ironic considering its controversial beginnings.
The musical follows the story of the Beaconsfield miners, two men trapped almost a kilometre below ground for thirteen days in 2006.
This is a story about men trapped underground, or even the heroic men and women who worked tirelessly to get them out, however - the story's main focus is on the Australian commercial media (particularly television) that exploited the event to try and win ratings.
With imitations of Mel and Kochie and Natalie [sic] Robson from Channel 7, Channel 9's Eddie McGuire and the entire cohort of hosts of Channel 10's Big Brother, the show is rather consistent in giving every commercial station a roast.
Even the ABC and SBS aren't safe, given a gentle ridiculing (not least by narrator Robbie McGregor, known by many as the 'voice' of SBS) while not condemned for their far more minor involvement.
The cast are highly talented and very comfortable with the show, with strong performances from writer Dan Ilic (as, among others, a hilariously narcissistic Channel 9 CEO Eddie McGuire), Toby Truslove, Kate McLellan [sic] and Amanda Buckley, all accompanied by accomplished pianist and the composer of the show, Nigel Ubrihien.
Nigel's music is brilliantly written and executed, with a distinctly Australian flavour that suits the tale well.
After a sold-out opening night to a vertitable [sic] Who's Who of Melbourne media, the show continues as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival until the 12th of October.
Clever, funny and with a frighteningly accurate satirical insight into commercial television media, Beaconsfield: The Musical is the indictment of Australian media that you can't help but love.

ADELAIDE ADVERTISER!
By Ewart Shaw
March 16, 2009 11:15am

ONE miner died, two were trapped underground and the Australian media descended on Beaconsfield like vultures, and now this musical starts chewing on the media.
The very active cast sink their steel capped boots into TV current affairs with frequently hilariously moments, generally involving the boning of television personalities and politicians. Matters of good taste aside, the music by Nigel Ubrihien isn't greatly memorable but the cast have great fun on a virtually bare set with rapid fire impersonations.
David Koch's chortle gets a great run and Naomi Robson and her lizard, a very oily reptilian glove puppet ,almost steal the show. It does make some very pertinent points about media exploitation of tragedy and grief, but most of the audience weren't thinking about that.
They were laughing too much.