AustLit

Play with music.

The story concerns Semyon Podsekalnikov, an unemployed Russian who is completely dependent upon his wife's meagre wage. When she mistakenly concludes that Semyon plans to commit suicide, she seeks help from a neighbour. The word spreads and, before too long, Semyon is urged by an intellectual, a writer, a butcher, a priest, and a 'femme fatale' to carry out his suicide plans on the behalf of a particular cause. Swayed by visions of glory, Semyon agrees to do it. But at his farewell banquet, he begins to have his doubts and ultimately rejects the notion of suicide.

Borrowing heavily from vaudeville, commedia dell' arte, clowning, and the Hollywood musical, this production of The Suicide also incorporated a good deal of music and musical performance, including original songs by Clay Djubal: 'Suicide (Let's Commit It)' and 'Happy Face.'

Play with music.

The story begins with the arrival of silly English 'new chum,' Charles Harold Vane Somers Golightly at the Spencer Street Railway Station. A local con artist, Robert Copeland, offers to show Charles around the city, in an attempt to take advantage of him. The scenes move briskly to the Burke and Wills Memorial, then out to Fairholme House on the outskirts of Melbourne. Later scenes include a Chinese opium den and Flemington during the running of the Melbourne Cup. Other characters include Dick Ledger (a 'revolutionary' who speaks on behalf of the 'down-trodden wukkin' man wot is a slave every day o' the week and ain't erlowed to git 's beer on a Sunday'), Detective Lynch and Inspector Lannigan (both with an eye on Copeland), Polly Sweetapple, Frank Seymour, Mother Crosbie, Maggie, Dorothy, Joseph Westley, and Hang Hi.

The musical score, including both pre-taped music accompaniment and live performance, juxtaposed contemporary sounds and styles (rock and pop) with traditional forms such as folk/traditional ballads and Chinese music. Original songs written for the production were 'Marvellous Melbourne', 'Villain's Theme', 'Hero's Theme', 'Mother Crosbie's Girls', 'Heroes and Villains', and 'Opium Den Musak.'

The story begins with the arrival of silly English 'new chum,' Charles Harold Vane Somers Golightly at the Spencer Street Railway Station. A local con artist, Robert Copeland, offers to show Charles around the city in an attempt to take advantage of him. The scenes move briskly to the Burke and Wills Memorial, then out to Fairholme House on the outskirts of Melbourne. Later scenes include a Chinese opium den, and Flemington (during the running of the Melbourne Cup). Other characters include : Dick Ledger (a 'revolutionary' who speaks on behalf of the 'down-trodden wukkin' man wot is a slave every day o' the week and ain't erlowed to git 's beer on a Sunday'), Detective Lynch and Inspector Lannigan (both with an eye of Copeland), Polly Sweetapple, Frank Seymour, Mother Crosbie, Maggie, Dorothy, Joseph Westley and Hang Hi.