TAKE a trip back through time and laugh yourself silly as Roleystone
Theatre presents the popular Stephen Sondheim musical comedy A Funny
Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum . Inspired by the farces of
ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251-183BC), the musical was
originally produced on Broadway in 1962 where it won several Tony
Awards. The musical, directed by Mark Thompson at Roleystone Hall,
tells the story of Roman slave Pseudolus who yearns for his freedom,
while his young master pines for the girl next door. In exchange for
his freedom, Pseudolus promises to find a way to unite the two young
lovers but, as always, the course of true love never runs smooth,
paving the way for many humorous moments and twists in the tale. The
title of the show stems from a line often used by vaudeville comedians
in music hall shows of yesteryear, as they announced: “A funny thing
happened on the way to the theatre…” “The musical combines
2000-year-old comedies with the gaudy, infectious energy of classic
vaudeville,” Thompson said. “It’s basically a non-stop
laughfest. “It has a lot in common with British farces, in that
it’s unrelentingly fast and full of witty dialogue. “Towards the
end of the show, the musical – which started at a light jog –
turns into an all-out sprint to finish. “Getting through it without
an actor tripping on a doorway or hurting themselves will be a
miracle.” Involved in theatre for the past 14 years, Thompson has
worked with the Koorliny Arts Centre, Murray Music and Drama, Laughing
Horse Productions and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of WA. He has
received several best actor or supporting actor nominations at the
annual Finley Awards for roles in Beauty and The Beast, Cinderella,
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying and Oliver! “I’ve
wanted to direct a musical for the past three or four years but
couldn’t quite settle on one I wanted to do,” Thompson said. “I
knew I wanted to do a classic – something funny and charming.
“When someone mentioned Forum , I bought a copy of the soundtrack
and practically listened to nothing else for about a month. “
Everybody Ought to Have a Maid is now a banned song in my home.” A
Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum plays 2pm March 28 and
April 4; 7.30pm March 28, April 3 and 4; and 5.30pm March 29. Tickets
are $25, $20 concession – book at www.trybooking.com/BITWB .
Roleystone Hall is at 44 Jarrah Road (corner of Wygonda Road),
Roleystone.
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04/04/2020 Last update