Feature

Today, we’re diving into the whimsical world of Monopoly: The Unauthorised Musical with its creator, Jasper Cruden. Described as a fantastical adventure with a touch of 80’s and 90’s nostalgia, this original musical promises a delightful journey with characters that leap straight out of your favourite games. So, grab your tokens and get ready for a tour through a reimagined board game universe that’s sure to captivate and entertain.

About Monopoly: The Unauthorised Musical

What is this Production about?

The journey of Monopoly: The Unauthorised Musical began in late 2021 when final year WAAPA composition student Jasper Cruden started thinking of clever ways to structure his graduating recital. In typical chaotic fashion, he crafted a simple but entertaining story about some of the player tokens from the classic game ‘Monopoly’ (Boot, Iron, Car, and Scottish Terrier) attempting to bring an explosive end to the rule of a tyrannical queen

Immediately following the success of that performance, Jasper and drummer Ian Tassicker began discussing ideas to further develop the project, with Ian taking on the bulk of the responsibility of re-working the existing story. The story was reshaped to expand the world and bring in characters from classic games such as Chess and Charades, and the human character Scott was added to give audiences a window into this fantastical world.

Join Scott on his unexpected adventure through a fantastical world inspired by ‘Alice in Wonderland’, and 80’s/90’s live action fantasy (‘The Princess Bride’, ‘Labyrinth’) as he meets the likes of the fierce but kindly Lady Luck, dramatic Sir Knight, verbose Miss Wordsmith, awkward Baron von Strategy, unpredictable Admiral Cannonblast, and the ruthless Mayfair.

What character are you playing, and what can you share with us about them?

I’m not playing one of the characters. I created them! I am playing drums in the band though.

Our characters include:

Scott – An uptight lawyer who is known in his town for being no fun at all. He goes on an unexpected journey in a very ‘Alice in Wonderland’ fashion and comes out the other side changed.

Lady Luck – A very hot/cold personality who switches between foul-mouthed aggression and sweet kindness. The leader of the group of heroes and the only one able to protect them from Mayfair. Avatar of cards and dice.

Miss Wordsmith – An overly verbose nerd who struggles to get the other characters to understand her. Avatar of word spelling games.

Sir Knight – A courageous but often overly dramatic warrior. Is compelled to deliver a soliloquy on death every time he sees a skull. Only walks in ‘L’ shapes. Avatar of Chess.

Baron von Strategy – A somewhat cowardly, awkward chap who suffers from the curse of no one ever having heard of his game: ’99 Gnomes That Know How to Knit’.

Admiral Cannonblast: A rambunctious pirate who acts as an agent of chaos among the group. Drinks homemade booze made from sea slugs. Avatar of games where you blindly guess where the opponents boats are and attempt to sink them via a grid reference.

Mayfair – The evil tyrant and antagonist of our story. Forces our heroes to play games for her amusement, and drags the losers away to be trapped forever as she attempts to cement her monopoly on power.

What’s challenging about bringing this script to life?

Bringing an entirely original idea into the world is always difficult, but especially so when it’s a full length musical! This project has been in development for 2 years, and it’s been countless hours of drafting, reading, then re-drafting scripts and music. We’re also learning how to function as producers and marketers as we go!

I’ve never been this busy, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything at this point.

Why did you want to be involved in this production?

Creating an original work that means something to people is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve also come away from every show I’ve ever played as a musician going ‘I think that script could have worked better if XYZ were changed’, and this is my chance to prove myself right.

What sort of person is going to love this show?

Anyone who is young at heart and finds joy in playing games! There’s something in this show for all ages, and we’ve got such a wide range of characters that everyone should find someone to root for.

What will the audience be thinking about in the car as they drive home after this show?

Personally, I hope they go home thinking about finally getting around to organising that games night they keep putting off!

What’s going to surprise people about this show?

Probably how professional it all looks and sounds! I think most people hear the words ‘Original Musical’ or ‘Debut Show’ and it sets off alarm bells about lower production values or aspects of the show being a bit under-cooked.

Our team is comprised entirely of people who are either in the professional space already or actively working towards entering it, so we’re executing at a high level.

How is this production bringing something new to this story?

The entire story is new, so I’ll answer instead by saying that we’re aiming to bring something new to the theatre scene in Perth, and ideally, the world.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Only that ticket sales are going pretty well, and we’re expecting a full house on opening night. Don’t miss your opportunity to be there for the premiere of something special!

Where can patrons purchase tickets to this production?

To book tickets to Monopoly: The Unauthorised Musical, please visit https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1464504.

Thank you for sharing the captivating journey of Monopoly: The Unauthorised Musical with us. Best wishes for a jam-packed opening night and a fantastical run! May the adventures of Scott and the other beloved characters bring joy and smiles to every corner of the theatre.

Other production interviews can be viewed in our About The Production Series.

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