Production photos by Chloe Snaith

It was a dark and stormy night when your intrepid theatre critic ventured into the bowels of Marrickville to find The Depot Theatre and to review this musical. We drove into a forlorn precinct in which there were a scattered miscellany of various buildings and there, suddenly a dimly lit sign “The Depot” . An uncertain push, or was it a pull of the door and we were inside and then ushered to our seat amidst a sea of bright earnest young faces.

We were now part of the young Sydney Theatre Scene.               Bright, bouncy and enthusiastic this performance bubbles over with joie de vivre as the actors sing, dance and act to tell us about the dangers of the evil weed. Very tongue in cheek of course. It is a huge cast that entertains us and this is a big broadway style show (with lots of tits and bums) .

The origins of the musical are in deep conservative America in the 1930s, part of a movement that sought to educate  the young about  what might happen if one left one’s pew (ie Church) and sought a different sort of redemption. One that might lead you to end in a puff of smoke you might say.

There is no dearth of acting talent in Sydney and its depth continues to amaze. The centrepiece here is a very young Joshua Ridge, who completed his HSC last year. There was sublime vivid choreography by Sasha-Lee Saunders.

This is a lavish musical with lots of pretty girls and boys (and bodies!) in a nascent part of the Enmore-Marrickville live theatre scene, with its vibrant coffee shops, eateries and ice cream parlours

Take a walk on the wild side.

See it.

REEFER MADNESS, lyrics and book by Kevin Murphy and music by Dan Studney, with direction by Hannah Barn, musical direction by Courtney Josh, and choreographer Sarah-Lee Saunders, is playing the Depot Theatre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville until June 5. The remaining performances are Friday 3 June at 8pm, Saturday 4 June at 2pm and 8pm, and the final performance is Sunday 5 June at 5pm.

http://www.rockdalemusicalsociety.com/