Have you ever, ever felt like this?
Any kid who grew up in the 90s probably remembers watching Round The Twist as part of their regular TV routine. Since first being broadcast in Australia in August 1990, it was the heralded Australian adolescent TV show that celebrated classic Aussie upbringings and wasn’t afraid to push the boundaries of broadcasting… and now fans are about to experience this fantasy program in a completely new way with a musical adaption confirmed.
RGM Productions has secured funding for a musical adaptation of Round the Twist through the federal government’s RISE program. RGM’s co-founder Garry McQuinn (who’s responsible for bringing Priscilla Queen of the Desert to the West End and Broadway) is stepping in to produce the show, which has been written and composed by Paul Hodge with direction from Simon Phillips (Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Love Never Dies).
The key takeaways
- Iconic TV series ‘Round the Twist’ is being turned into a musical
- RGM Productions has secured funding for the musical adaptation through the federal government’s RISE program
- The musical will take 26 Round the Twist episodes and distill them into roughly two hours of musical theatre
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The adaptation is expected to take 26 Round the Twist episodes and distill them into roughly two hours of musical theatre.
“This is a brilliant opportunity to develop a musical based on a true classic of Australian children’s literature and television. So many Australians who were entertained by Round the Twist as children are now parents themselves and ready to pass on the joy! (Or just go by themselves for the nostalgia trip.),” Phillips says.
“Distilling twenty-six episodes of ghost-busting television into just two hours of thrilling musical theatre is no mean feat, and the grant will enable us to properly explore all its possibilities and produce a well-honed, action-packed result. It’s also terrific that the government has chosen to support the work of Paul Hodge, a young, up-and-coming musical writer of huge talent and potential. His commitment to Round the Twist The Musical has been unswerving and it’s fantastic that it has been given a chance to come to life.”
Hodge has been a longtime fan of the show, being one of a generation of kids around the world who grew up watching and loving the iconic TV series, and promises that the catchy theme song will have a place in the forthcoming musical production.
“Music has always been a core part of the series. The mystery behind the eerie music playing in the lighthouse underpins the show’s first season and the show’s iconic, unforgettable theme song, written by the amazing Andrew Duffield, will play a key part in the musical adaptation. For a show so much about family, I’m thrilled that the generation that grew up watching the show will be able to introduce a whole new generation of kids to the story – it will be a true family event.”
Spanning 52 episodes across four seasons over 11 years, the show followed the story of three children and their widowed father who live in a lighthouse in the fictional coastal town of Port Niranda, adapted from the writing of beloved Aussie author Paul Jennings. With an opening theme song that has become a time-honoured nostalgic gem, there were more weird moments in Round The Twist than not, but that’s how it stood out from the crowd. The weirdities were often subtle but so effective, igniting short circuits of laughter that stemmed from its unfathomably. The kids were gross and little Bronson could never tame his imagination. His character in itself encapsulated the imaginative child growing up in a peculiar neighbourhood.
Season dates for the musical production of Round the Twist are yet to be announced.
In the meantime, Round The Twist is currently streaming on Netflix if you want to dive deep into nostalgia ahead of the musical.
You can find out more about the musical here.
