Hilarious musical retelling of the only war Australia lost – to the emus
Have you ever thought about how the famed Emu War would make a great musical?
That’s what writer Lotte Pearl thought. From Pearl Whirl productions, The Emu War: A New Musical hits the Pleasance Theatre’s stage at Edinburgh Fringe, bringing with it a performance that is brimming with character and silliness.
In 1932, the Australian government declared war on all of emu kind, after they destroyed many farmers’ crops in Western Australia. The farmers are distraught and the military are hapless, resulting in a measly outcome where Australia failed to make any difference to the emu population.
The musical dramatises this major historical event in a quirky way. Following farmers Greg, played by Violet Morris, and Steve, played by Tom Brace-Jenkins, who only want to grow as much wheat to bake bread, their decision to ask the government to assist takes a dark turn as the military get the guns at the ready to kill as many emus as possible.
With music composed by Pearl and co-composer Toby Little, the songs do well to convey the story, with some hilarious stand out tunes. Consisting of only a piano and sometimes guitar, accompanied by an emu on box drum, its really the ensemble’s vocal chops that take centre stage and fill out the sound of the performance.
Although the comic potential of the emu war may have been under developed in some aspects, The Emu War: A New Musical shines as a funny, heartfelt and wacky musical comedy.