It’s been months in the making and now the production of Panic in Pipton is ready to grace the stage.
The brainchild of playwright/musical director Andrew Munslow, Panic in Pipton is an original musical production with a ‘The War of the Worlds story’ and is described by the team as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty meets The Night that Panicked America.
Andrew grew up listening to The War of the Worlds musical version by Jeff Wayne.
“I would turn off all the lights and in a pitch-black room listen to the story unfold to the music,” Andrew said. “I’ve had several ideas about how to put on a War of the Worlds musical but decided to write a musical based on the real-life events that unfolded on the night that Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre Company presented their radio version of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.
“To incorporate the songs into the story, I wrote my main character, Sam, as a dreamer who drifts off into fantasy – this is when the songs are performed during the show – we are hoping to convey this change from reality to fantasy with a combination of lights and sound and a ‘tell’ – something Sam does that shows the audience what they are about to see is occurring in her imagination.”
A Fascinating Musical Journey of Fantasy and Reality with Original and Classic Songs
Andrew wrote the musical over six months more than five years ago. It was stage manager Deb Hossack who encouraged him to dive into the creative world of both writing and starring in musicals. So, what can audiences expect from this show?
“They will get to experience our lead character Sam’s mind!” Deb said. “The show is set in a country pub the night of The War of the Worlds broadcast, however, Sam, a young dreamer, quite often drifts off into her imagination and we get to experience the songs she imagines there with her. It’s a fun and different concept that will let us present a range of songs to the audience, from original works written by Andrew to popular music by ELO, Queen and more, in total 12 songs interwoven into a unique storyline. Watching the progress with each rehearsal is so exciting. We can’t wait for the end product.”
The show features a cast of 15, four band members (with an extra drummer helping in rehearsals) and seven in design/sound/lighting/backstage crew, plus the director and musical director.
For tickets, visit Try Booking website.
Panic in Pipton (A War of the Worlds Musical Story)
- Friday, 13 September – Saturday, 28 September
- ACT 1 Theatre
- 238 Gympie Road, Strathpine
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