Hedwig and the Angry Inch

11 Sep No comment

9 September 2006

The Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne

I saw 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' over a year ago now. I switched it on, not expecting a great deal, and more than a little concerned when I realised that it was a "musical". 89mins later the film was over, and I had loved it. It was weird, funny, colourful, sad and the soundtrack actually rocked. When I heard that an Australian theatrical production was underway in Sydney, I was a little surprised and curious. What is 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' all about?�I've tried explaining it to friends before, without success, and without really selling it.

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the story of Hedwig Schmidt, the unfortunate victim of a gruesomely botched sex-change operation, and an "internationally ignored song-stylist". Her journey to find true love, "her other half", is a rock and roll odyssey which leads her across the Berlin Wall, across the world, and from man to woman."

Rocking up to the Athenaeum on Saturday night, the first thing that struck me was how diverse the audience was. Old, young, gay, straight, goth, grungers. As the theatre started filling, the performance started, with a mock sound check. With the lights out, the 'internationally ignored song-stylist' made her way through the audience and onto the stage.

We meet Hedwig as she begins telling her life story to the audience. The show plays out as a rock opera, interspersed with brief clips of dialogue driving the story forward. There are some hilarious lines in the show, some subtle, some not so subtle, and some packed full of innuendo. The story is a highly entertaining one, that relies heavily on the performance of the lead.

To pull off the role of Hedwig, a performer would need two things. A huge vocal range and sizeable stage presence. iOTA was definitely able to put a tick in both these boxes.

My one complaint with the show was the sound. Here's a tip. If your going to the Athenaeum, avoid the front five or so rows as the front of house speakers are actually position five rows back from the stage. Whilst the dialogue came through loud and clear, some of the vocals in some of the louder numbers got a little muddy. That's the Athenaeum's fault though!

All in all, Hedwig is a great night out. It's every thing the film is, but live. p.s. Yes, I was Saturday nights car wash victim (if you've seen the show you'll know what I endured!).