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Fiasco: A Burke & Wills Musical

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A 70s beatle-esque style depiction of the famous Australian explorers Burke & Wills, On the left, Burke is displayed with a bright blue skin tone and on the right Wills is a deep red. These colours contrast with hallucinogenic background with a cartoon compass, map, tree and musicians with swirling colours and hyper-colours around a microphone and piano, with a sky of multicoloured, trippy instruments, music notes and a bath.
Andrew Doodson
Two white man stand in front of a bookshelf staring sternly at the camera. Sammy on the left is wearing a blue shirt and a black coat with a green scarf and is holding a black hat. To his left the person is wearing a red shirt with a orange waistcoat and neck scarf with a black jacket - his also holding a violin and it's bow.
Nick Robertson
A 70s beatle-esque style depiction of the famous Australian explorers Burke & Wills, On the left, Burke is displayed with a bright blue skin tone and on the right Wills is a deep red. These colours contrast with hallucinogenic background with a cartoon compass, map, tree and musicians with swirling colours and hyper-colours around a microphone and piano, with a sky of multicoloured, trippy instruments, music notes and a bath.
Andrew Doodson
A 70s beatle-esque style depiction of the famous Australian explorers Burke & Wills, On the left, Burke is displayed with a bright blue skin tone and on the right Wills is a deep red. These colours contrast with hallucinogenic background with a cartoon compass, map, tree and musicians with swirling colours and hyper-colours around a microphone and piano, with a sky of multicoloured, trippy instruments, music notes and a bath.
Andrew Doodson
Two white man stand in front of a bookshelf staring sternly at the camera. Sammy on the left is wearing a blue shirt and a black coat with a green scarf and is holding a black hat. To his left the person is wearing a red shirt with a orange waistcoat and neck scarf with a black jacket - his also holding a violin and it's bow.
Nick Robertson
A 70s beatle-esque style depiction of the famous Australian explorers Burke & Wills, On the left, Burke is displayed with a bright blue skin tone and on the right Wills is a deep red. These colours contrast with hallucinogenic background with a cartoon compass, map, tree and musicians with swirling colours and hyper-colours around a microphone and piano, with a sky of multicoloured, trippy instruments, music notes and a bath.
Andrew Doodson
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Sammy J's musical take on the disastrous Burke & Wills expedition. With live band and real deaths.

Most Australians know how the Burke and Wills expedition of 1860 ended (spoiler: badly), but few are aware of just how much went wrong in this cross-continent omnishambles. It’s a story of ego, ambition, and colonial expansion against a backdrop of errors and ignorance.

Newly uncovered documents, however, reveal that Burke and Wills weren't just failed explorers: they were also prolific song writers, penning multiple tunes as they trekked from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Now, for the first time, these songs are being made public. Because they may be about to starve to death, but that doesn't mean they can't grab their guitars, tune their piano, and tell you their story one final time - with a full band.

A brand new musical comedy from Sammy J.

"This country's finest and most astute satirist." ★★★★★ - The Age

MUSIC & LYRICS: Sammy J

WILLIAM WILLS: Sammy J
ROBERT O’HARA BURKE: James Pender
JACK: Pirritu (Brett Lee)
JOHN KING: Richard Vaudrey
CHARLEY GRAY: Emily Chen

DIRECTOR: Wes Snelling
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Richard Vaudrey
CULTURAL DRAMATURG: Carissa Lee
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Andrew Doodson
COSTUMES: Claire Hooper
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Julz Hay
NGIYAMPAA TRANSLATION: Aunty Lesley Woods

With thanks to the Royal Society of Victoria for research and rehearsal space.

Through consultation with traditional owners, references to mob involved in the story of Burke & Wills have been kept general in nature.

Crowd Pleasers

Showcases the festival's most beloved, must-see events—guaranteed to thrill and bring everyone together!
“"This country's finest and most astute satirist."”
“"An endlessly creative talent."”

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    Event Info

    Important Event Information

    The Low Sensory guide can be found here.


    For the Low Sensory show, earplugs will be available at the door.


    There is a small amount of haze in this production.

    Content Warning

    Alcohol Use, Racism, Death, Animal Cruelty

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