From its opening rope-swing into the jungle, this production of Tarzan delivers a vibrant, high-energy reinvention of the Disney classic that left audiences transported to another time and place. Under Alister Smith’s confident direction, the staging finds its rhythm early on and rarely let’s go.
Premiering on Broadway in 2006, with music and lyrics by Phil Collins and a book by David Henry Hwang, Tarzan brings Disney’s 1999 animated film to life on stage. Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan of the Apes, the musical follows a young boy raised by gorillas who grows to manhood in the African jungle. When an expedition brings the curious Jane Porter into his world, Tarzan is torn between his family of the wild and the pull of human attraction.
Smith has assembled a very fine cast. Joshua Russell brings a commanding physicality and emotional openness to Tarzan, while recent VCA graduate Emily Robinson makes an appealing and inquisitive Jane.
Sarah Murr (fresh from Hadestown), gives Kala a warmth and vocal depth that anchors the family drama, complemented by Devon Braithwaite’s stern but affecting Kerchak. Daniel Lim shined, especially with his performance of I Need to Know, as Young Tarzan, and Trent Owers provided excellent comic and kinetic energy as Terk.
Surprisingly, one might have mistaken Drew Holmes for having wandered onto the rocky confines of the Cornwall shoreline rather than the Equatorial West African jungle. His over-the-top portrayal of Professor Porter felt closer to the antics of Major-General Stanley than to a bumbling academic. Meanwhile, Nick Eynaud’s Clayton was stiff to the point of caricature, overly wooden yet pompously camp.
Michael Ralph’s choreography soars in every sense: the aerial work evokes the treetop agility and untamed spirit of Tarzan’s world with thrilling precision, while the grounded ensemble brings life to the jungle’s beating heart.
Claire Healy’s musical direction pulses through the performance, unleashing Phil Collins’ score with affection and power. Whether it’s the Oscar-winning warmth of You’ll Be in My Heart or the stirring momentum of Son of Man, the cast delivers with both clarity and emotional connection.
Visually, Jacob Battista’s set, paired with Bianco Pardo’s earthy yet expressive costumes, creates an immediacy that anchors the wild magic in something tangibly real. Their work is complemented by Declan O’Neill’s lighting, which subtly shifts from muted canopies to dramatic stage-spanning shafts of light. Marcello Lo Ricco’s sound design, while facing some balance issues early in Act One, settled into excellent clarity by the second half.
TARZAN – The Stage Musical
The National Theatre, Corner Carlisle and Barkly Streets, St Kilda
Performance: Saturday 30 August 2025
Season continues to 14 September 2025
Bookings: www.ticketek.com.au
For more information, visit: www.tarzanstagemusical.com.au for details.
Images: Emily Robinson as Jane and Joshua Russell as Tarzan (supplied) | Sarah Murr as Kala with Tarzan Ensemble (supplied) | Sarah Murr as Kala and Devon Braithwaite as Kerchak with Tarzan Ensemble (supplied)
Review: Rohan Shearn