American Psycho — The Musical — POSTPONED

Overview

UPDATE: JULY 16, 2020 — This musical has been postponed. To find out more, head to the Arts Centre Melbourne website.

See this writeup? It's pale nimbus with raised lettering. The font? Something called Silian Rail. Now let's see Paul Allen's. No time — Huey Lewis and the News just came on. *dances around, throwing blood into the crowd*

The last few years have been so replete with wildly improbably events that it's getting hard to find anything worth raising an eyebrow for. But the news that American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis' subversive and initially banned novel of bankers and blood rages in the 80s has been adapted into a musical, has had us trying to wrestle our brows down from our hairlines for days now.

That's right, Les Miserables and Ellis' protagonist, Patrick Bateman, now have more in common than a passing interest in decapitation. But while the former has had its fair share of Australian seasons, the latter is gearing up for its first in Melbourne under award-winning director Alexander Berlage.

Clare Hawley

After hitting Sydney in 2019, and bloody seasons on Broadway and at the West End, the blood-spattered musical will head Art Centre Melbourne's Playhouse this May to unleash Bateman (Ben Gerrard), a detached, murderous businessman, onto Australian audiences once again.

The show is written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, has music and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Duncan Sheik and feature 80s hits from the likes of Phil Collins, Tears for Fears and New Order — and it's 2019 season saw it pick up nine Sydney Theatre Awards.

American Psycho — The Musical may have the same disdain for excess that you do, but it has a slightly better haircut. Make sure you return those video tapes before booking.

Tickets are on sale from 10am on Wednesday, February 26 via the Arts Centre website. 

Top images Clare Hawley