Melbourne Reviews

The counter-culture revolutionary musical from 1967, Hair, has returned to Melbourne under the stewardship of the Australian Shakespeare Company. It’s the first major musical presented by the company that for decades has stayed in its Shakespearian lane to great effect.

It was surprising for the company to make this move given they have such a stronghold in the Shakespeare genre and it was also surprising that of all the musicals to choose from, it was the 1960s bohemian tribal rock musical Hair.

Having not been present for the 1960s radical movement, I can’t truly understand the hippie movement of the time and the societal shifts happening. Except, I can. The overarching themes of resisting a fascist government, opposing war and fighting for environmental protection are just as relevant as ever.

What made Hair so groundbreaking at its release was its racially diverse cast, use of profanity and depictions of free love. In the era of “ethical non-monogamy” these themes no longer hit like they used to, at least for audiences born from the 1980s onwards.

The large ensemble cast do the best they can with the material, showing off impressive vocal skills from what is a majority of the Australian Shakespeare Company’s core ensemble. Adding some depth and classic musical theatre resonance to the production is Giorgia Kennedy, who has most recently performed as Catherine Parr in SIX The Musical. Kennedy performs the number ‘Frank Mills’ beautifully and with emotional sincerity, letting the comedic text do the work. Additionally, Maverick Newman is a highlight, leaning into the slapstick to the audience’s delight.

Alex Cooper as Claude and Maxwell Simon as Berger are strong vocally and clearly capable actors, but the lack of plot sees them lost in the pieced-together production. Elizabeth Brennan performs Sheila, a political activist in the throuple between Claude and Berger, while Jackson McGovern plays Woof, whose only character trait seems to be that he is ‘horny’. The remaining cast, while all competent performers, get lost in the lack of throughline, leaving them as extraneous extras. Perhaps it is modern-day cynicism, but these characters all feel like trust fund babies, who, as soon as they finish living their bohemian revolution, will return to their upper-middle-class lives to perpetuate the problems they claim to be protesting.

Karla Erenbots’ costumes are absolutely on point for the era and the soundtrack that originally sold 3 million copies on its release still has some bangers. However much of the score is forgettable, the upbeat songs come off as Disney Channel pop, and the more serious numbers are undermined for it.

The nudity at the end of act one, which I’m sure caused an absolute uproar at its premiere feels gratuitous and unearned, neither controversial nor necessary in 2025. Because of the tenuous-at-best plot, the characters all become satirical versions of flower-power hippies and despite strong performances they are ultimately unlikeable.

What’s more, given the current socio-political and environmental state of the world, Hair is a missed opportunity to make a real statement, lifting the production from dated cliché to defiant storytelling.