Head Over Heels is a relatively seldom performed musical. Having premiered on Broadway in 2018, it is a jukebox production featuring the songs of The Go-Go’s, who were led by Belinda Carlisle, which has now made its way to Australia for a performance by the Hayes Theatre as part of its 2026 season. Directed by Ellen Simpson, with musical direction from Zara Stanton and choreography from Ryan Gonzalez, the production team have assembled a stellar cast featuring Shannen Alyce Quan, Jenni Little and Gaz Dutlow among others for this larger-than-life musical.

In the intimate setting of the Hayes Theatre, the set provided an immediate introduction of colour, with Josh McIntosh fashioning a set and costumes that very much reflected the melding of Elizabethan theatre with the bright colours of the modern day.

The first thing that jumps out about this musical is that the storyline is fairly thin. The King (Thomas Campbell) decides that the shepherd Musidorus (played here by understudy Ellen Ebbs) is not good enough for his daughter Philoclea (Jenni Little). After a prophecy from Pythio (Gaz Dutlow) that tells King Basilius that Arcadia will perish if four prophecies are fulfilled, the family set off only to be infiltrated by Musidorus disguised as a woman and many adventures and romances ensue. 

The performers did their best but ultimately they were trying to overcome a script that is quite superficial and difficult to bring much nuance to, which ultimately limited this production. While the ‘queerification’ of the story provided some degree of interest and freshness to the show, it was still an uphill battle for the cast, which although stellar, had little to work with by way of storyline and script. While the music of The Go-Go’s is definitely exciting at times, it does not have the same panache that other jukebox musicals with super well-known songs have and as a result the painfully thin plot is all the more obvious.

What saved this production were the superb performances of the lead characters. Gaz Dutlow, in particular, was absolutely fantastic as Pythio, making use of their limited stage time to steal the show with fantastic vocals and an amazing presence on stage. Shannen Alyce Quan was also fantastic, showcasing a beautiful voice in the lead role and driving along the story. Little and Campbell also made use of their extended stage time, bringing strong vocals and great character acting to their roles.

A special mention must go to Ellen Ebbs, who filled in as Musidorus at the last minute and did a fantastic job in one of the more meaty roles in the production. Even after a slightly nervous start, she really came into the role and left her mark on this production. Another highlight of the production was the comedic rendition of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” at the midpoint of the second act, which showed off the great skills of the ensemble as well as the fantastic vocals of J Ridler.

Overall, this was an interesting production that did the best it could with some fairly light source material. In spite of this, there were many exceptional performances in this production, especially vocally with Dutlow and Quan. With an incredibly talented cast and great vocals, this is definitely a fun watch, and one that will only continue to evolve as the cast find their rhythm.

Rating: ★★★1/2

Head Over Heels plays at the Hayes Theatre until 22 March 2026. For more information, click here.

Photo credit: Kate Williams @katesyourmate