Musical Theatre Works of John Thorn
Some Select Examples
ALL HET UP
Friends Meets The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
This musical from 2002 was co-written with Guy Rundle (story and lyrics) and Fiona Thorn (music and words) and is a through-sung investigation of relationships fro the 30 somethings. It premiered at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in Sep 2002 at the Czech House with a cast of Rachel Tidd, Michael Vietch, Paul McCarthy, Fiona Thorn and Simon Barfoot and then had seasons in 2003 at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Chapel off Chapel and GPAC with a cast of Jeremy Stanford, Colin Lane, Jane Badler, Fiona Thorn and Patrick Cronin. It had a 4 and a half star review in The Age and was invited to the New York Music Theatre Festival but failed to get enough funds to travel over.
THE TIPPING POINT
The Footy Fan's Rom-Com
(formerly titled "Kiss Of Death")
This musical was co-written with Kate Shmitt (story, lyrics) and Fiona Thorn (music and words) and premiered at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in September 2011. Originally titled "Kiss Of Death" THE TIPPING POINT is a musical Rom-Com set in an office obsessed by AFL football tipping. There are many screwball comedy moments with some magical intervention. The cast included Emily Taheny, Paul McCarthy, Lyall Brooks, Scott Brennan and Fiona Thorn. It received a 4 and a half star review from Helen Razor in The Age and is ready and waiting for a return season.
SILLY SEASON
Shakespeare meets TV Week
Silly Season was written in 2002 with Guy Rundle (story/lyrics) and Fiona Thorn (music and words) and is a retelling of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream set in the contemporary Australian Television industry. The mechanicals are Tv techs trying to make their own chat show. The young lovers are stars of opposing Soap operas. Puck is a gossip columnist, Tatiana is an Uber Agent etc.. It was presented by the Monash University Theatre Department in 2005 and starred Kate Williams, Rueben Kaye, Mark Kenny and Jeremy Hopkins along with other talented folk who have gone on to great careers.
THE BOA'S CURSE
A Cabaret Musical Fairytale
formerly "In Cabaret"
This musical was written with Fiona Thorn and John Molloy who also starred in this camp rags to riches tale involving talking feather Boas and Mirror balls. There are some pretty good songs including You've Forgotten How Good I Am and Great Potential and it featured a live band on stage with me including Ted White (sax), David Abiuso (bass) and Scott Lambie (drums).
LOOKING FOR LAWSON
The Great Australian Bard in new original musical settings
This is a contemporary song cycle/cabaret/concert with Henry Lawson poems I have set in a wide range of musical styles. The show was premiered in Sep 2014 in Bourke, NSW played the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2015 and been performed in every state of Australia. It has been described by Barry Humphries as "miraculous" and the cast recording CD featuring Emily Taheny and Lindsay Field was released in 2017.
URBAN DISPLAY SUITE
The Real Estate satire we had to have.
Michael Dalley wrote this satirical cabaret/revue masterpiece along with a little musical help from me. The show was full of hits like Shit Art Of The Mornington Peninsula, One Day This Will All BE Mine and Auction Cowboy. Urban Display Suite disects the world of property and the aspirations of the middle class. The seasons at 45 Downstairs and the Lawler theatre at the MTC starred Lyall Brooks, Sharon Davis, Gabrielle Quin and Michael Dalley with John Thorn on the piano. Later casts included Mike McLeish and Gillian Cosgriff.