🚀 go-pugleaf

TAKE a trip back through time and laugh yourself silly at Melville Theatre 
this month with the farce A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.



Inspired by the farces of ancient Roman playwright Plautus (251-183BC), the 
Sondheim musical was originally produced on Broadway in 1962 where it won 
several Tony Awards.



The musical, directed by Lars Jensen, tells the story of Roman slave 
Pseudolus who yearns for his freedom, while his young master pines for the 
girl next door.



In exchange for his freedom, Pseudolus promises to find a way to unite the 
two young lovers but, as always, the course of true love never runs smooth, 
paving the way for many humorous moments and a twist in the tale.



"A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum is a true musical comedy 
with equal emphasis on both those words - the brilliant music of Stephen 
Sondheim, which is happily married to non-stop comic action," Jensen said.



"The roots lie in Plautus' work, which was meticulously researched by the 
creators of Forum but, given its multiple, interconnected plots, this 
musical trumps anything Plautus ever wrote.



"The plot displays all the elements of a classic farce including puns, a lot 
of coming in and out of doors, mistaken identities and satirical comments on 
social class."



Jensen said the title of the show stems from a line often used by vaudeville 
comedians in music hall shows of yesteryear, as they announced: "A funny 
thing happened on the way to the theatre."



There have been numerous productions of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To 
The Forum over the years, most recently at Ontario's 2009 Stratford 
Shakespeare Festival and a Cantonese version in Hong Kong last year.



A film version was made in 1966 with starred Zero Mostel reprising his 
Broadway role as Pseudolus.



Jensen has assembled a talented cast for the Melville Theatre production, 
including Ross Bryant, Phil Mackenzie, Diana Ryman, Morgan Phillips, Craig 
Menner, Kimberley Harris, Emmet Nichols, Harry Lenthall, Judith Clark, 
Niquelle May, Barbara Lovell, Tarryn Bullock, Vicki Kirkman, Stuart Riches, 
Andrew Milne, Jeff Hansen and Warren McGrath.



Musical direction comes from David Hardie with choreography by Rachel 
Leonhardt.



A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum plays at 8pm, April 15, 16, 
17, 22, 23 and 24 with 2pm matinees on April 11 and 18.



Tickets are $20, $15 concession - book on (08) 9330 4565 or email 
melville.theatre.company@gmail.com. Melville Theatre is on the corner of 
Stock Road and Canning Highway, Palmyra, Western Australia.