Pioneering musical theatre legend and actor Reg Livermore is righting the wrongs surrounding his dream of bringing to life a musical tribute to notorious bushranger and icon of Australian folklore, Ned Kelly.
When Ned Kelly: The Musical premiered in 1977, with book and lyrics by Livermore and music by Patrick Flynn, it received a lukewarm response from critics. Yet Livermore’s enduring resilience and belief in the work – his determination to see it receive the justice he felt it deserved – could be said to mirror the central tension within the musical itself: the friction between institutional justice and humanitarian fairness as the demise of Kelly and his gang is traced.
After decades of neglect, the musical has been reborn through revisions, including additional music and orchestrations by Simon Holt, culminating in a new Victorian Opera production directed by Stuart Maunder that potentially signals a fresh era for the work.
That said, it marks a tentative start, with just two performances at Ballarat’s historic Her Majesty’s Theatre – no doubt a testing of the waters. While eschewing lavishness, the production asserts itself artistically, buoyed by a strong pool of music theatre and emerging operatic talent.
Harry Gill’s set design draws on Kelly’s iconic steel armour, creating a versatile backdrop that occasionally reveals an upper level slit, doubling as a performance space and echoing the helmet’s “letterbox” cutout — a uniting touch, enhanced by Gavan Swift’s brooding lighting.
Gill’s costumes identify appropriately with the period, although the titular Ned incongruously resembles Buzz Lightyear more than a dangerous bushranger wearing the dust and hardship of the land.
Robustly structured and without narrative complication, Livermore’s lyrics keenly evoke the spirit of the central conflict, in a way that feels both entertaining and instructive, while balancing seriousness with a (mostly) considered dash of light-hearted escape. The cast deliver them with impressive clarity.
The work focuses on the last couple of years of Kelly’s rebellious, careering life in the later 1870s when the Kelly gang was formed. Unfolding through episodes of violence rooted in colonial injustice, the narrative traces clashes with police, the Kelly Gang’s crimes, and his eventual capture, trial, and hanging. Drawing rich historical sources, it also uncovers moments of introspective poignancy and deep kinship, notably that between him and his mother, Ma Kelly.
Overall, it is effectively supported by Flynn’s eclectic music – a multi-genre mix influenced by 1970s rock opera incorporating elements of rock, Broadway theatre, folk, vaudeville and burlesque – which conductor Simon Holt and the Victorian Opera Chamber Orchestra handle with assurance. The work is almost entirely sung through, and while the songs largely hit the mark, it is not without its faux pas.
Ned’s If I Were King and Never Goin’ Home (Acts 1 and 2), along with Act 2’s Ned’s Last Words, are exemplary in their emotive power. Ma Kelly, meanwhile, is given some of the score’s most powerful moments – Act 1’s Days Without End, following her unjust gaoling over the Fitzpatrick shooting, and Act 2’s deeply moving Die Like a Kelly. The latter, rich in love, doggedness and pride, underscores her profound influence on Ned’s life and, it could be said, the legend he became.
But the show’s early introduction to the Kelly gang – following a powerfully dramatic opening at Spencer Street Station, featuring impactful choral layers as police reinforcements depart for Glenrowan – feels like a wayward misstep.
Wham, Bam Kelly Show has the aura of a long-lost children’s TV theme song, and Nicole Melloy’s cheesy choreography only reinforces that impression. Elsewhere, however, she creates some striking tableaux, nowhere more so than during the holdup at the Glenrowan Inn.
By contrast, Livermore’s cameo as the bank manager, Mr Tarleton, singing the ditty-like The Bank of New South Wales in a coat made of banknotes, proves a thoroughly enjoyable, playfully theatrical side dish, following the Kelly gang’s galloping, melodically catchy Gonna Rob a Bank.
There are also issues with the rather tepid fight scenes, where the music at moments of high-tension feels similarly underpowered. Nevertheless, Maunder’s eye for detail is particularly evident in direction that sensitively captures the work’s emotional core.
Ethan Jones offers a youthful Kelly, with warmth and vocal verve in his solo numbers, though the role demands rather more grit and edge than is evident here. He is strongly supported by Jacob Steen’s assured Joe Byrne – with the kind of grit needed – Darcy Wain’s energetic Steve Hart and Luke London’s steady Dan Kelly, who together form a cohesive and engaging Kelly gang overall.
Maria Mercedes’ defiant and steadfast portrayal of Ma Kelly is a notable standout, combining emotional depth with a commanding stage presence, lending authority and gravitas to the role. As Superintendent Hare, the relentless officer on a crusade to capture Kelly, Robert Grubb is unwaveringly persuasive and authoritative, anchoring the production with a commanding presence.
Smaller roles are commendably filled by Chelsea Dawson (Kate Kelly), Douglas Kelly (Sergeant Fitzpatrick and Edwin Living), Sally Bourne (Mrs Jones), Rachael Joyce (Ellen Sherritt) and Kiran Rajasingam (Judge Redmond Barry), each contributing dimension and spark to the narrative.
Rohan Campbell delivers a compelling and nuanced Aaron Sherritt, Joe Byrne’s friend, gang associate and pressured police informer, while Bailey Montgomerie gives a particularly memorable performance as Constable McIntyre following his escape from the Stringybark Creek camp. The chorus and ensemble also perform impressively, providing energy and atmosphere that vividly bring the production’s world to life.
Livermore’s work is a valuable contribution to the broad range of material that continues the story of Ned Kelly. It engages with the intrigue and tension the tale harbours, exploring it with thoughtfulness and emotion.
Another thought it raises it that, when an opera company courageously brings the work to life, it is easy to imagine that, with a story brimming with drama, murder, betrayal, heroism, and rebellion, Kelly’s story could well cry out for serious operatic treatment in a future commission.
Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical
Her Majesty’s Theatre, 17 Lydiard Street South, Ballarat
Performance: Saturday 28 March 2026
Information: www.victorianopera.com.au
Images: The company of Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical – photo by Jeff Busby | Jacob Steen, Luke London, Ethan Jones and Darcy Wain in Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical – photo by Jeff Busby | The company of Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical – photo by Jeff Busby | Reg Livermore and Douglas Kelly in Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical – photo by Jeff Busby | Maria Mercedes and Ethan Jones in Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly: The Musical – photo by Jeff Busby
Review: Paul Selar