Ned Kelly (musical)
| Ned Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Music | Patrick Flynn |
| Lyrics | Reg Livermore |
| Book | Reg Livermore |
| Premiere | 30 December 1977: Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre |
| Productions | 1977-78 Adelaide/Sydney 1982 Queensland |
Ned Kelly (sometimes titled Ned Kelly: The Electric Music Show) is an Australian musical with book and lyrics by Reg Livermore and music by Patrick Flynn. It tells the story of Australian bushranger Ned Kelly with an eclectic score combining rock opera, vaudeville and burlesque. The original Australian production played in Adelaide and Sydney in 1977 and 1978.
Livermore began writing Ned Kelly in 1972 when touring as a performer with the musical Hair in Perth and Adelaide. Livermore and Flynn had previously collaborated on the musical Lasseter which was produced in Sydney in 1971 by the Old Tote Theatre Company at the Parade Theatre.
In the manner of Jesus Christ Superstar, a concept album of the musical was made prior to a stage production. The concept album, released in mid-1974, featured various members of the Australian cast of Jesus Christ Superstar, including Jon English as Ned Kelly, Trevor White, John Paul Young and Livermore. Janice Slater sang the role of Ma Kelly.
Creation of the album involved some disharmony between Ned Kelly’s collaborators, with Bob Ellis brought in by producer Clyde Packer and Flynn to revise existing lyrics and write lyrics for new songs (he is credited on the album as additional lyrics).
In 1974, it was announced that Robert Helpmann would direct a production in 1975 to feature Livermore, Jon English and Jeannie Lewis, produced by Packer in partnership with J.C. Williamson's. This production did not eventuate.
In mid-1977, the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust started planning for the first production of Ned Kelly, to open in Adelaide. Livermore was director and designer, with Keith Bain the choreographer and Michael Carlos musical director. The cast included Nick Turbin as Ned Kelly, Geraldine Turner as Ma Kelly, Doug Parkinson as Joe Byrne and Arthur Dignam as Superintendent Hare.
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