American Psycho — The Musical

A blood-spattered musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' famed novel hits the Sydney Opera House stage for the first time.
Matt Abotomey
February 09, 2021

Overview

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 his second under award-winning director Alexander Berlage.

Clare Hawley

After hitting Potts Point's Hayes Theatre Co in 2019, and bloody seasons on Broadway and at the West End, the blood-spattered musical will head to the Sydney Opera House in June this year to unleash Bateman (Ben Gerrard), a detached, murderous businessman, onto Australian audiences once again. It was initially set to carve its way across the Playhouse in 2020, but we all know how last year turned out.

The show is written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, has music and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Duncan Sheik, and features 80s hits from the likes of Phil Collins, Tears for Fears and New Order — and its 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.

Pre-sale tickets are available from 9am on Tuesday, February 9 with general sale kicking off at 9am on Friday, February 12 via the Sydney Opera House website

Top images Clare Hawley

Information

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