Before anything else can be said, it must be noted that the characters in this musical are completely fictional, and are definitely not based on a real breakdancer with a strikingly similar name. The highly anticipated satirical musical, Breaking the Musical, has premiered at The Adelaide Fringe, and all in all is worth the hype.
Written by and starring Steph Broadbridge, this show is witty, with a tongue-in-cheek script, many a musical parody, and a heavy dose of Aussie larrikinism. The story follows Spraychael ‘Spraygun’, a privileged girl with the dream of becoming the best breakdancer in the world, becoming a Doctor of Breakdancing, and maybe even making it to the Olympics. With the help of her husband, Spraygun achieves her dreams, but is left dealing with criticism after receiving a score of zero. What does a washed up celebrity do then? Go on “I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here” of course!
Broadbridge is supported by an ensemble cast whose comedic acting is on point. A particular favourite moment is the French mime who acted out the entirety of the Olympic journey, from plane to playing field, followed of course by a completely original breakdancing routine where the audience gets to join in! Also deserving a special mention is the props/set master, appearing throughout the show in a unitard and representing street signs, a campfire, and an evil lawyer, among other things.
The songs included original tunes as well as parodies that echoed everything from The Little Mermaid to Vanilla Ice, and were accompanied by a live band. The lyrics were clever and funny, and though these performers are clearly for the most part comedians rather than trained singers, there are some great moments of ensemble harmony.
The show did struggle a little with tech issues, with microphones sometimes only going live part way through a scene, and with some clunky scene changes likely caused by the unusual space that is The Garage International. However, due to the raging success shown by the Fringe’s sold-out season, a return season of Breaking the Musical is surely imminent and these moments can be smoothed out.
Unfortunately, if you don’t already have tickets, you have missed out on seeing this hilarious satirical musical, but lets hope there is a return season, so you can witness Spraygun’s completely original story.