Home and Away: The Musical is a 1991 stage musical with music and lyrics by Chris Summerfield, except Lyrics and melody on "Junk Food", "I Wanna Be A Dancer" by Olu Rowe. Lyrics to "Surfing" by Olu Rowe and Chris Summerfield. and a book by various writers. It is based on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. The show was created and directed by Paul Hammond and developed by the British Albermarle Montrose company. The musical features thirteen scenes divided between two acts, with fourteen musical numbers. Hammond developed the idea after realising Home and Away potential to become a successful musical that would be an ideal fit in the 1990s lifestyle. Hammond envisioned the musical that would replicate the success and legacy of Grease. Hammond travelled to Australia to secure the rights for the show. He met with potential cast members and hired the original cast members Justine Clarke, Mouche Phillips, Adam Willits, Sharyn Hodgson, Julian McMahon and Craig Thomson. British actors Matthew Cammelle, Andrew Lawden, Karen Heyworth and Paul Murphy assumed the remaining roles. Home and Away's executive producer Des Monaghan and staff from the Seven Network in Australia offered support during the show's development.
The show's plot focuses mainly on the character of Roo Stewart, whose diner business is under threat from villain Mr Big. The Summer Bay locals band together to save their diner. Throughout the story, the characters break out into song and the show's musical numbers occur. The show was choreographed by Trudy Moffatt and featured a chorus and a band. The show's sets were based on locations that appear in Home and Away. These include the Diner, Summer Bay beach and the Fletcher family kitchen. The music numbers ranged from jazz, funk and ballads with energetic dance routines. The show debuted at The Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells on 10 June 1991. It toured the United Kingdom across fifteen venues until October that year. The musical cost £1.6 million to produce and was promoted in British media and on television. The show attracted controversy towards the end of its run due to actors failing to attend the shows.
Home and Away: The Musical received mixed reviews from theatre and media critics alike. The majority of the show's original cast performances were negatively critiqued but Clarke received praise for her role as Roo. The show's choreography was mainly applauded but the show's writing and main storyline were berated. The show was popular with younger audiences and fans of its source material, Home and Away. Critics noted a positive atmosphere and reception at all shows, largely from the show's fan base.
Plot Roo Stewart is the owner of The Diner, a restaurant business located in Summer Bay. Mr Big plans to buy The Diner and turn it into a fast food restaurant. The town's local residents come together and form a campaign to save the diner from Mr Big's takeover.
Musical numbers
Act I "Summer Bay" – The Company "Junk Food" – Frank "Get Yourself a Man" – Roo, Viv and Carly "Bikin'" – Ben, Martin + Boys "To Be Me" – Frank and Roo "Together" – Frank and Company
Act II "Surfing" – The Company "Mr Big" – Mr Big + Company "With Just a Kiss" – Gina "Dancer" – Viv + Dancers "I'm Still in Love with You" – Frank and Roo "Rockin' on the Beach" – The Company "Home and Away (Reprise)" – The Company "Together" – The Company
Home and Away: The Musical features fourteen musical numbers across two acts.Hammond 1991, p.8. The musical's score features various genres of music including rock, jazz and ballads. The song "Summer Bay" featured in the musical explores Home and Away's fictional setting. The chorus of which included the lyrics: "Summer Bay belongs to you, Summer Bay is your home too." "Junk Food" is a song staged with giant fast props and themed costumes decorated with chips. "Junk Food" was also promoted as an official single from the musical. "Home and Away (Reprise)", the show's theme song is also featured in the set. The songs "Bikin'", "Surfing" and "Dancer" employ lively dance routines from the cast. The setlist also features duets with the characters of Frank and Roo.
Creation and background In 1990, a stage musical of the Australian soap opera Prisoner Cell Block H was produced and toured around theatre venues in the United Kingdom. Producers of another Australian soap opera, Neighbours monitored Prisoner Cell Block H's theatrical journey and were less inclined to adapt their show for musical theatre. Producers of Home and Away allowed their brand to used and musical stage show was developed based on the series. Soap opera being used in musical theatre can be viewed as lowbrow by theatre critics. Producers of the musical were not worried about the critical success and opted to create a "visual, easy listening" show.
That year, Paul Hammond and his company Montrose Entertainment acquired the creative rights from Home and Away to produce the show. Hammond has stated that his original vision was inspired by Home and Away's fictional setting of Summer Bay. He believed it could be a "terrific attraction" for theatre revellers and imagined the show being the "Grease of the nineties". Hammond learned about a demographic who only attended theatre show's featuring television actors, including pantomimes. He believed that using the Home and Away brand would attract this demographic and not only be profitable, but potentially maintain their interest in theatre. Hammond planned the show to be a multi-week touring stage musical that would be capable of playing large venues. He planned that it should be staged during the British summer months to capitalise on the season's heightened business. Hammond's original story plans were for the show to be based on Home and Away's pilot episode and other early episodes.
Production Development and writing Hammond assumed the role of producer and director. Chris Yates was hired as the head of corporate affairs. Production hired five scriptwriters to write the book for the musical. They all had experience writing for soap operas and one worked for the British soap opera EastEnders. Chris Summerfield, who was a musical producer working with Montrose Entertainment was responsible for musical and lyrics, assisted by former BMG Publishing songwriter Olu Rowe . Renato Bartolomeo became an assistant director and Adrian Linford the show's designer. The Albermarle company were hired to create scenery for sets and costume designs. Canadian national Trudy Moffatt assumed the role of the musical's choreographer. She had already gained experience in the field working with Wayne Sleep and Freddie Starr. In May 1991, Steven Sanders, a professional trombonist was hired for the show's band. He had previously worked with Hammond on his production of Snow White, which also featured Home and Away cast members. During the first six months of development, Hammond was met with disbelief from people who doubted a soap opera like Home and Away could be turned into a musical.Hammond 1991, p.3.
Home and Away: The Musical was developed for viewers and fans of soap operas rather than critics. Another aim was to give British theatre audiences more Australian content. Yates told William Cook from The Scotsman that "it's visual, easy listening, anyone who comes to see it from a critical point of view will be wasting their time." Hammond added that it is "soap on stage, we're giving people a piece of Australia." Hammond was loath to take the show to London's West End theatre, believing the show was incompatible with its style. He favoured alternative venues because he believed the show worked better on a regional level.
In the development phase, they received support from the Home and Away executive producer Des Monaghan and staff from the Seven Network in Australia.Hammond 1991, p.4. The show's writing differed from its source material with characters being featured in alternative or new scenarios. In Home and Away, the characters of Ben Lucini and Carly Morris are married. In the musical they are written as being both single again. Sharyn Hodgson who plays Carly in both versions told Mike Smith from Wales On Sunday that "there's no comparison, the characters are different. They have the same names and are in Summer Bay but that's it." Hodgson told Sara Carter from Bracknell Times that the musical itself is unlike the television series. She added "they have just taken some characters from it." Hodgson revealed that all cast members would sing and dance in the musical regardless of their talent. She explained "there is heaps of signing and dancing in the show and I do my bit. But I'm not really a singer." Craig Thomson who plays Martin Dibble revealed that despite being based on Home and Away, the show's style would "certainly" be a musical rather than a soap opera.
The production team viewed hours of original footage from the show. They wanted to recreate locations used in the series on stage. The final concept for the beach set was determined after viewing the footage and studying photographs. The show eventually consisted of two acts complete with fourteen songs. Act one was divided into seven scenes and Act two into six scenes, all with their own location complete with a different set. Locations recreated in the musical which featured in the source material Home and Away were the beach, the diner and the Fletcher's kitchen. One set design which featured during the "Junk Food" musical number featured a giant burger. Costumes decorated in chips were designed for cast members to wear during the performance.
Other scenes featured actual working motorbikes with petrol running their engines. Thomson revealed that they were only allowed a small amount of petrol for safety reasons. This used to last for the duration of the musical number but created a logistic challenge when it ran out and they needed to remove the motorbikes from set. Producers also included a voice over inspired by television continuity announcers. As ITV held the rights to the programme at the time, the voice over stated: "Now on ITV, it's over to Summer Bay for Home and Away."
The show cost £1.6 million to produce and financial backers hoped the show would be one of the musical hits of the 1990s. Hammond also developed plans for a feature film of the musical to be filmed in Cornwall. A soundtrack released on vinyl was also developed. The show was proposed to have another tour in Belgium, where Home and Away was also broadcast, but was also dubbed.
Casting and rehearsals Hammond visited Australia to secure the castings of former Home and Away cast members that he wanted in the show. Only actors who had left Home and Away were able to join the cast. Hammond had already worked with some cast members on Christmas shows and pantomimes. In December 1990, he worked with Justine Clarke, who played Roo Stewart. Clarke was later signed to reprise her role as Roo in Home and Away: The Musical. In addition, Craig Thomson was hired to play his role as Martin Dibble and Mouche Phillips signed up to reprise her Viv Newton role. Sharyn Hodgson reprised her role as Carly and McMahon reprised his role of Ben. However, McMahon's involvement changed and Andrew Kennedy was also cast to play Ben in the show. Adam Willits joined the cast as Steven Matheson at a later date into the show's production. Steven had originally been played by a different actor at the musical earlier runs such as Swansea.
Actor Guy Pearce, who played David Croft in Home and Away was also hired for the musical. It was stated he was unlikely to appear at all shows. When the tour began, Pearce was still filming the role of David in Australia. He appeared during the show's performances in Cornwall, Glasgow, Birmingham. Pearce did not appear in the show's official cast list or promotional materials.