Malthouse Theatre’s artistic director Matthew Lutton is jumping ships temporarily to direct the anti-capitalist musical comedy Happy End.
Created by Elisabeth Hauptmann, Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, the work originally only ran for seven performances when it premiered in 1929 Berlin, and it was largely ill-received at the time.
The Guys and Dolls-esque show of gangsters in 1915 Chicago premiered on Broadway in 1977 (starring Meryl Streep, no less). Happy End is something of a musical rom com, with the story revolving around gangster Bill Cracker (Adam Murphy, Aladdin) and his unlikely romance with Salvation Army lieutenant Lillian Holiday (Lucy Maunder, Fun Home). The cast is rounded out by Ali McGregor (Lorelei) and Euan Fistrovic Doidge (Fun Home).
Happy End is showing at Arts Centre Melbourne with five performances only from March 23 to 26.