May 92 min read

Pamela Rabe joins the cast of Hayes Theatre Co's 'Ride the Cyclone'

With the Australian premiere of the viral musical sensation Ride The Cyclone fast approaching, it was announced today that acclaimed Logie, Helpmann and AACTA Award winning actor Pamela Rabe is joining the cast, lending her voice to The Amazing Karnak. Rabe’s inimitable voice, already recorded in the studio, will combine with set, sound, lighting and audio-visual design to conjure the character of the mysterious fortune-teller automaton who orchestrates and narrates the story.

The big dipper of rehearsals is well underway, with the social media mega-hit opening at Hayes Theatre Co on 23 May for a strictly limited season. Tickets are available at hayestheatre.com.au

The exciting young cast this thrilling and critically acclaimed musical includes Natalie Abbott (Zombie! The Musical, Muriel’s Wedding) as Constance, Bailey Dunnage (RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under) as Noel, Lincoln Elliott (The Hello Girls, Sunshine Super Girl) as Mischa, Justin Gray making his professional debut as Ricky, Ava Madon (A Little Night Music, The Lucky Country) as Jane Doe and Karis Oka (Fangirls, Six) as Ocean, with understudies Mel O’Brien (Fangirls) and Alec Steedman (Once).

Cast of Ride The Cyclone (L-R)- Ava Madon, Bailey Dunnage, Lincon Elliot, Karis Oka, Justin Gray, Natalie Abbott PHOTO BY JOHN MCRAE

Helmed by the Artistic Directors of Hayes Theatre Co, Richard Carroll and Victoria Falconer as Director and Musical Director, Ride The Cyclone tells the hilarious and exhilarating story of six teenagers from a Canadian chamber choir who encounter a freak accident aboard the titular rollercoaster. When they awake in limbo, a mechanical fortune teller invites each to tell a story to win a prize like no other - the chance to return to life. As the teens compete to prove their worthiness, they sing and dance their way through a series of hilarious and touching performances, revealing their deepest hopes and fears.

With book, music and lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, this bold, striking and genre-busting musical started life in Canada, before becoming a hit in Chicago and New York, and then a record-breaking online phenomenon with over half a billion views on TikTok.

Bursting with witty, memorable songs and featuring some of the most compelling characters in modern musical theatre, this remarkable show makes a uniquely uplifting and deeply funny case for what makes a life worth living.