Christopher HF Mitchell and Guy Masterson’s The Marvellous Elephant Man the Musical! is a melodramatic and gothic fairytale retelling of The Elephant Man. If you are not familiar with the narrative, it is the inaccurate retelling of a man who is half human, half elephant, found by a doctor at a local freak show. The production traverses through the turbulent “doctor-patient” relationship, if one can even be said to exist, between the eponymous John Merrick and the megalomaniacal Dr Frederick Treves.
John Merrick was played with a deep sincerity. Initially, his existence as a man of half elephant and half human seems quite foreign, and is difficult to relate to as an audience. As the play progresses, his disability becomes a metaphor for anything that makes a person feel different or alone. Nurse Hope finds an authenticity in him that she doesn’t see in Frederick. Despite being able-bodied, her own insecurities help her develop a deeper connection with John.
Kanen Breen as Frederick makes the most hateable character, earning consistent boos from the audience throughout. He is the embodiment of a narcissist, and his chemistry with Ben Clark on stage almost trumps Clark’s with actress Annelise Hall, who plays Nurse Hope, the love interest of both.
Ben Clark brings a sense of authenticity and dignity to the role, reminding us all of the power of resilience and the importance of seeing beyond appearances. The intense emotional sensitivity and reactivity in John reflect his history of physical and emotional abuse from childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood.
Frederick and John’s treatment of Nurse Hope are beautifully contrasted against each other: Frederick buys Hope orchards to which she is allergic — and doesn’t notice her sneezes — and John thoughtfully buys her her favourite yellow daisies. These reactions juxtaposed against each other highlight how unsuitable Frederick is for Hope. Lead actress Annelise Hall played Hope with sincerity and sang beautifully.
Through meticulously choreographed, lively and engaging dance, choreographer Eden Read and Dance Captain Eleanor MacIntyre create an atmosphere of chaos and vivacity that immediately distinguishes the musical from its more mundane predecessor: the biographical drama film.
Ultimately, The Marvellous Elephant Man the Musical! is an exploration of what it truly means to be beautiful. It is testament to the fact that you can awake each day and put on expensive clothing, and arrive at your prestigious job amongst your well-respected colleagues, perhaps even flaunt your degrees from Oxbridge or the Ivy League, but if you are deeply insecure, this will not be enough to distract you from what is brewing within yourself. Instead, you become bound to behave in unkind ways that will cause profound pain to both others and yourself.
The Marvellous Elephant Man The Musical! will be playing at the Spiegeltent Festival Gardens at the Sydney Spiegeltent, The Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park as part of Sydney Fringe Festival until October 1 2023.