9 May 2026

Footbridge Theatre

Sydney Conservatorium Of Music/Music Theatre Student Production

Billed as “A Musical Within A Comedy”, The Drowsy Chaperone darts from show stoppers to pathos to subterfuge to slapstick. Presented at the renovated Footbridge Theatre by 3rd Year Music Theatre (MT 27) students from the Sydney Con’s Music Theatre degree course across 3 nights, this production sparkled and sizzled in all the right spiffy ways.

The Chaperone originated in Toronto, Canada in 1997 as a rather risque spoof of old style musicals for a stag party, was further developed for the Toronto Fringe Festival and later premiered on Broadway in 2006 featuring Bob Martin and Sutton Foster.Music and lyrics are composed by Greg Morrison and Lisa Lambert and the book written by actor Bob Martin and film maker Don McKellar with the Broadway cast winning 5 major Tony Awards.

The premise is a little confusing at first – a pyjama clad man is in his kitchen with the blues. He likes musicals, he likes a hot toddy and wants to play us his favourite recording from the 20’s on the turntable.His pithy perambulations across the fourth wall set up the main plot and introduce a range of outrageous Jazz Age characters.At heart a love story with unpredictable twists and turns, Director Jason Langley and Choreographer Penny Martin cast the roles and action perfectly, with every actor in the ensemble allowed a comic or serious moment to shine. There was ballet, tap dancing and roller skates, acrobatics, sleight of hand deceptions and wonderful singing.

Musical Director Simon Kenway joyfully kept the pit orchestra of Con students snappy and generally under the voices. Set, lighting and costume designs were seemingly simple yet hugely effective, particularly in using a Murphy bed and a fridge door for occasional entrances and exits.Toe-tapping knockout numbers including “Show Off”, sung by romantic lead Janet Van Der Graff, and a bakers delight of “Toledo Suprise” gangsters proved the ready-to-be professional cast really do have greasepaint in their veins. Bravissimo.