Writer performer Dan Ilic, best known from The Ronnie Johns Half Hour, faced the music yesterday over criticism his musical staged during the Melbourne Fringe Festival was disrespectful to the family of deceased miner Larry Knight and Channel Nine journalist Richard Carleton.
In the middle of a media storm he agreed to change the title from Beaconsfield: A Musical in A Flat Minor to Beaconsfield: The Musical.
Ilic says the comedy is intended to show the media circus that enveloped the 2007 disaster.
But survivor Todd Russell said, “It’s pretty appalling. They’ve got no respect for Larry’s family.
“Fair enough they can take the mickey out of the media all they want, but when it comes to the Knight family and others it’s pretty poor.”
Characters said to feature in the 50 minute show include David Koch, Melissa Doyle, Eddie McGuire, union boss Bill Shorten and Naomi Robson – complete with lizard puppet, crooning a love duet together.
As a storm itself encircled the stage show, Ilic and his cast say they will proceed with performances at the tiny Butterfly Club from tonight until Sunday.
Some media have since crticised Fringe Festival organisers which has financial support from the Victorian Government.
you hit the nail right on the head there AAronS! Would expect his new show to be of the same calibre.
Looks more like Ilic and co are satirising the slobbering media frenzy more than the disaster itself, which would explain the self-righteousness coming from said media. And of course all this hysteria has done is send ticket sales soaring. Ha!
i love it… neil and tracy on ACA last night made me wanna see the musical more than ever!!!
i say to dan, bring on the national tour… and stage it in theatres like the regent or her majesty’s!
No wonder! This guy did the Ronnie Johns show??
As Tony would say, circle of life, Hakuna Matata!!!
Probably one of THE worst shows ever to grace channel Ten, and that is defiantly saying something.
Think he could have waited a little longer before bringing his “masterpeice” to the public. Sure people love a p**s-take but you really need to give it time to cool down, how longs it been? 18 months? too early! You need a good 5 year stretch before you start with the jokes about deaths of real people.
And the name? Just wrong.
Its the kind of joke that the one of your mates says like the day after the tragedy, in poor taste and gets a shaking of the head when said, those kind of guys also eat 4 Caesar salad rolls for lunch and don’t make it past 45
Any chance we can bring back Ronnie Johns – at this point it was pulling higher ratings than 40% of Ten’s Prime Time lineup!
It’s been done, Dan. Best of luck, though.
“Some media have since crticised Fringe Festival organisers which has financial support from the Victorian Government.”
Love the irony that the media that are pointing fingers at the Fringe as ensuring that the show is sold out.
Commenting about this musical, radio personality Neil Mitchell actually compared the Beaconsfield mine collapse to world wars and the Holocaust. A bit much don’t you think? Not to mention Larry & Todd had no problems cashing in on their fame.
No wonder people despise him.
Burn him!!! Hang him… !!!! No more jokes Dan…. It’s not funny… What next a musical about the Nazi’s?