Filed under

Review | Of A Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical

An entertaining and enlightening look at the cult of celebrity

By Lauren Gillett • May 18, 2013

Presented by Ecce Homo Theatre in association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Written and directed by Alistair Newton

Kimberly Persona in Ecce Homo Theatre's Of A Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical. Photo by Alejandro Santiago.

You don't have to be a Little Monster to appreciate Ecce Homo Theatre's tribute to the pop phenomenon that is Lady Gaga. Written and directed by Alistair Newton, Of A Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical, now playing at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, explores the influences that made the controversial artist who she is today, and celebrates the power of her fame to transform the lives of her fans.

Hosted by the larger-than-life (and now deceased) Australian performance artist Leigh Bowery (played to perfection by Bruce Dow), the cabaret-style show is centred around one Little Monster (Tyson James) as he follows Bowery on an eccentric journey through the history of popular art and culture. Featuring cameo appearances by icons such as Bjork, Cher, Camille Paglia, Marina Abramović, Andy Warhol, Quentin Crisp (all impersonated by the talented and hilarious Gavin Crawford), Grace Jones, Madonna, Yoko Ono (Chy Ryan Spain), Boy George, Elton John and Club Kids co-founder Michael Alig (Kyle Travis Young), Of A Monstrous Child uses verbatim interviews to investigate what it means to be a celebrity in the 21st century. The result is a work that is at once intellectually stimulating, shocking, nostalgic, disturbing, funny and touching.

While the staging of the production could use polishing, the set and costumes by Matt Jackson are striking, and the overall effect is quite impressive. Kimberly Persona shines in the starring role, portraying the otherworldly Gaga in all of her edgy glory (the only shame is that we don't hear more from her) in a show that is simply fascinating to watch. Buddies is sure to have a hit on their hands with this theatrical gem.

Of A Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical runs until May 26 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Visit buddiesinbadtimes.com for more information and to buy tickets.

Show Dates:

Tue, 2013-05-14 - Sun, 2013-05-26

Our rating: