Four years of A Night With the Villains, and I’m still excited to find out who’s made the naughty list. Elodie Boal’s Halloween musical review has become a favourite annual outing, largely because I never know which characters will turn up or what they’ll get up to once they hit the stage. This year’s cast gave me plenty to cheer about, with some inspired song choices and performances that had the audience losing its collective mind.
The premise is deliciously simple. A collection of villains arrives just before Halloween to compete for the title of best in show, using their musical talents to convince us they deserve the crown. Each performer gets an iconic song associated with their character, followed by a contemporary number that suits their personality in act two. I refuse to peek at the song list in the program because discovering those second-act choices is half the fun. There’s a special kind of satisfaction in watching a performer take a song you know and turn it into something completely suited to a notorious character.
The audience gets involved, too, with voting opening during interval. It’s a clever device that turns us from polite theatre-goers clapping appreciatively in our seats into a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, ready to champion our favourites and make some noise about it. Suddenly, everyone has a stake in the outcome, and the energy in the room ramps up as the competition heats up. The winners get to lead the final song, giving the audience one last chance to cheer on their champions.
Opening the show with Jud Fry, arguably one of the less recognisable villains to a modern audience, was an interesting choice. Confession time: I had to Google him. Leo Mylonas, however, made a compelling case for keeping my attention firmly on the stage.
Aimee Duroux was a standout as the MILF Fairy Godmother, making her entrance as Cinderella’s sweet, blue-caped, pink-bowed Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo fairy godmother before whipping off the signature look to reveal the sexy, decidedly less wholesome version from Shrek. The transformation was a delicious bit of theatrical mischief, and Duroux had the star power to carry it off with aplomb. She proceeded to treat Cinderella’s Prince and Rapunzel’s Prince from Into the Woods like her adorable little boy toys, teasing and toying with them while owning every inch of the stage.
The princes, played by Croft Phillips and Jett Sansom, were also terrific. Their Agony from Into the Woods nailed the song’s comedy, with the pair delivering every melodramatic flourish the number demands. Then they returned with I’m Just Ken, complete with a full Kenergy dance break. The commitment was magnificent, and the audience ate it up. (They won the comp on the night we attended).
Kennedy Foley, another familiar face from previous seasons, was perfectly cast as Miss Hannigan from Annie. The role seemed made for her, and her dance breaks had the audience screaming. She knows how to work a crowd, and this performance gave her plenty of opportunities to do exactly that.
Lucy Ross commanded the stage as King Herod from Jesus Christ Superstar, bringing a strong and sassy presence to the role. With so many performers making their mark, choosing a favourite was going to be difficult.
Jaya took on hosting duties this year, and his Grinch was a triumph. The character was so convincing that I stopped thinking about the performer beneath the costume. All I could see was the Grinch, with every mannerism and expression dialled in. Given how recognisable the character is, that’s quite an achievement.
Ashleigh Grabasch, Chelsea Guard, Finn George-Newman, Harry Ince, Billy Sim Wright, Madeleine Ford, Emily Rohweder, Joshua Moore and Niam Cadoo-Dagley deserve their own mentions, too. The cast is packed with talent, and the audience response throughout the show made it clear just how much everyone was enjoying themselves. There was plenty of cheering from the seats, with the performers feeding off the crowd’s energy.
Costume designer Jackie Fredericksen deserves a special mention. The detail in these costumes is impressive, with each character’s signature look carefully recreated for the stage.
As writer, director and producer, Elodie Boal has created something rather special with A Night With the Villains. For the audience, it’s a chance to see familiar characters let loose, discover some inspired musical choices and get swept up in a competition that has everyone picking sides. For the cast, it’s a chance to show off their vocal chops, flex their comedic muscles and have a ridiculous amount of fun with characters they can really sink their teeth into. Creating a show that gives performers this much room to play while sending an audience home buzzing is no small feat.
This is my fourth year attending, and Boal has yet to run out of ways to surprise me. I’ll be back next Halloween, program firmly closed until act two, ready to see some of my favourite baddies flex for the audience and battle it out for the Halloween crowd.
Mark your diaries down now for this time next Halloween to spend A Night With the Villains.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
