Werewolf Priest! The Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Grimby (play)
Werewolf Priest! The Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Grimby is a 2014 stage musical by Australian playwright Levon J Polinelli[1], with music by Ash Gibson Greig[2]. It debuted as part of The Blue Room Theatre's 2014 Season One program directed by Polinelli[3][4], with a subsequent season in 2015 at Murdoch University's Nexus Theatre. A feature film version is currently in development.
Storyline[edit]
Huntersville, a small hamlet, has fallen on hard times. The town is failing, rotting from the inside out. The villagers are in turmoil, not knowing how they will survive… or if. For a fell beast, a creature of the night, lurks in the woods, attacking villagers and travellers at each full moon.
The situation is dire. Most dire…
But there is one shining light - the town priest, Father Hank Grimby, a young pious man who works tirelessly to buoy the spirits of the townsfolk, giving them the words and heart they need to keep going. However, Hank is torn between two worlds: the vows he has made to God, and his forbidden love for Brooke Gainsborough, the Mayor’s daughter.
But Brooke is to be married to George Waggner, a somewhat-renowned explorer of the world, and as the town priest it falls on the dutiful Hank to perform the ceremony. Despite their shared love, Hank recognises that the town is failing, and marrying Waggner might be Brooke’s only chance to escape, and allow one of them to begin life anew.
In a freak accident, Hank unknowingly falls victim to the evil that stalks Huntersville. At the next full moon he will become a creature of the night, and wreak havoc upon the town he calls home… unless he can find a cure.
Can Hank resolve his tormented heart? Will he escape this devil’s curse upon his soul? And can he uncover and destroy the true evil lurking in the heart of Huntersville before it destroys himself and all that he holds dear?
Cast[edit]
| Character | 2014 Blue Room Theatre run | 2015 Nexus run |
|---|---|---|
| Hank Grimby | Sven Ironside | Thomas Dimmick |
| Brooke Gainsborough | Siobhan Dow-Hall | Harriet Fettis |
| George Waggner | Magnus Danger Magnus | Joshua Towns |
| Mayor Gainsborough | AJ Lowe | Tim Brain |
| Doctor Talbot | Stephen Lee | Jason Dohle |
| Tomas | Daniel Buckle | Philip Hutton |
| Daughter Stubbs | Rhianna Hall | Maggie Clark / Shannon Rogers |
| Mother Stubbs | Tiffany Swan | Claire Talbot |
| Father Stubbs | Ayden Doherty | Andrew Dawson |
Critical Reception[edit]
ArtsHub said "Levon J Polinelli has written, directed and produced a fantastic piece of entertainment that also showcases some of the best of Perth’s talent on stage and behind the scenes."[5] Ben Elton declared the Blue Room run to be "quite possibly the most fun and entertaining thing I've ever seen!". Perth Theatre Reviews said "...it has a clear filmic influence in both staging and content with the small Blue Room stage barely able to contain Polinelli’s wild ambition." Travis Johnson, of X-Press, said "The songs are big, memorable sing-along numbers for the most part, and it’s easy to imagine a bigger, grander production somewhere down the track... All up, Werewolf Priest! is a hell of a romp, and well worth the price of admission." [6] Independent Theatre Association said "Mortgage the cat if you have to, but get some money to buy a ticket to this zany show. It sparkles." [7]
Feature Film[edit]
A feature film adaptation is currently in development, directed by Levon J Polinelli and produced by Catface Productions.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Theatre".
- ↑ "Theatre".
- ↑ "Werewolf Priest the Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Grimby".
- ↑ "Werewolf Priest: The Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Gimby".
- ↑ Dickinson, Nerida. "Werewolf Priest! The Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Grimby". ArtsHub Australia. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
- ↑ "Werewolf Priest! The Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Grimby".
- ↑ "'Werewolf Priest! The Lamentable Ballad of Father Hank Grimby' reviewed by Gordon the Optom". 21 May 2014.
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