Once on this Island has always been a musical that has punched above its weight, winning a Tony Award for best revival of a musical in 2017, and playing to audiences all around the world, largely in smaller, independent theatres. 

For this production at the beautiful Hayes Theatre in Elizabeth Bay, the production team at Curveball Creative, led by director Brittanie Shipway, have assembled a talented cast from across the Australian theatre scene. Notably, this is one of the most diverse casts out there in Australian theatre and this creates a real sense of richness that informs the tapestry of this work. 

While the musical is seemingly set in the French Caribbean, the production is mystical enough that suspension of disbelief can kick in and all of the diverse cultures represented on stage can be celebrated. Perhaps a more despondent way of looking at this is that the story, which heavily focuses on colonialism, has touched so many cultures that its application is very much universal but either way, the production is a celebration of richness in an industry that, although improving, seldom spotlights diverse creatives in this way. Immense credit must go to the production team for this. 

The story of the musical very much resembles a Disney fable with Ti Moune, a young peasant girl, falling in love with a wealthy Frenchman who she rescues from an almost-certain death. However, he ultimately betrays her before she sacrifices herself for him and for love. 

Beyond the heavy and complex themes lurking behind the fable-like story, there is no hiding that there is not a lot of substance to the musical itself. The storyline wafts through without much action and parts are very repetitive, with the quality of the score being quite variable. But, ultimately, this makes the individual and ensemble performances within the cast even more spectacular.

Thalia Osegueda Santos is absolutely extraordinary as Ti Moune, giving a breathtaking performance. Her vocal control combined with her penchant for storytelling is exactly what the musical needs and her belt is so powerful and yet, refined as well. With a truly captivating performance, this feels like the first step in a stellar career for her. 

Santos is well supported by Alexander Tye as Daniel, with Zahrah Andrews as Mama Euralie and Sione Mafi Latu as Tonton Julian also delivering stellar vocal performances. Googoorewon Knox has been fantastic in all of his shows in the past few years and this is no exception, as he provides a perfect foil, both physically and vocally to the rest of the cast. The ensemble is also sublime, with Paula Parore’s solos being a highlight. 

Ultimately, this is a beautiful and heartfelt production, with stellar vocals, that celebrates the stellar diverse talent in Australia’s musical theatre scene. The musical is simplistic, and perhaps lacking in substance at times, but this cast is so strong that they are able to transcend the text and deliver a performance that feels both entertaining and impactful. A superb performance by a group of performers who we will hopefully be seeing on our stages for a very long time.

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Once on this Island plays at the Hayes Theatre until 31^st August. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: David Hooley