MEDIA RELEASE | a new Australian musical
Stoddart Entertainment Group, Co-Producers Of ‘Heathers The Musical’, Will Bring The Magic Of Banjo Patterson To The Stage In A New Australian Musical
(left to right) Earl Marrows, Bob Andersen, Dylan Marshall, Ashley Taylor Tickell, Phil Kettle, Daniel Stoddart
Stoddart Entertainment Group is proud to announce the commissioning of a new Australian musical, Clancy of the Outback, for development. Renowned for staging productions such as The Play That Goes Wrong, Evil Dead The Musical, and Heathers The Musical, the company will present this uniquely Australian story exploring identity, family, community, and acceptance through a uniquely Australian lens. The production is scheduled for its premiere in 2027.
The production is based on Phil Kettle and Bob Andersen’s beloved children's book series, Clancy of the Outback, which drew its inspiration from Clancy of the Overflow, one of Banjo Paterson's most famous poems, which is told from the perspective of an urban dweller who encounters the legendary drover and shearer, Clancy, and comes to long for the idealized pleasures of his outback lifestyle.
This original, one-act theatrical adventure will bring one of Australia’s most iconic children’s outback heroes to the stage, creating a fresh homegrown production that promises to captivate both young audiences and families.
Stoddart Entertainment Group CEO/Producer Daniel Stoddart said, "Australian stories deserve to be told on our stages, especially for young audiences. Clancy is adventurous, funny and deeply heartfelt, but what excites me most is that it doesn't talk down to children. It treats them as intelligent, thoughtful audiences and invites families to experience all the hallmarks of a full-scale musical together."
"At a time of significant change for Australia's theatre industry, we're incredibly proud to be investing in new Australian musical theatre. Original work is the lifeblood of our industry, and Australian stories deserve to be created by Australian artists and shared with audiences across the country. Clancy of the Outback is more than a new production - it's an investment in Australian creativity, in emerging talent, and in the future of home-grown musical theatre."
The production will feature book and lyrics crafted by an all Australian team led by Green Room Award-nominated writer Dylan Marshall, with an original score by Earl Marrows, a celebrated Australian composer and alumnus of New York University’s esteemed TISCH School of the Arts.
Writer/Lyricist Dylan Marshall said, "Clancy is a story about finding where you belong. While it's wrapped in adventure and humour, at its heart it's about connection - to people, to place and to community. Those themes feel incredibly relevant today."
Composer Earl Marrows added, "The score draws inspiration from the Australian landscape itself. We wanted the music to feel big-hearted, emotional and distinctly Australian while still delivering the excitement, humour and spectacle audiences expect from musical theatre."
Bursting with humour, heart and thirteen original songs, Clancy of the Outback will follow a city kid who finds himself thrust into the heart of regional Australia. At The Overflow Station, Clancy learns to fit in with the lively dust-covered community, raises a baby kangaroo, discovers the beauty and hardship of life in the outback, and faces an environmental emergency that challenges his courage, resilience and sense of belonging.
The production forms part of Stoddart Entertainment Group's ongoing commitment to championing Australian stories and investing in the future of new Australian musical theatre.
Further details, including premiere dates, creative team and casting, will be announced in the coming months.
(left to right) Bob Andersen, Phil Kettle, Ashley Taylor Tickell, Dylan Marshall, Daniel Stoddart, Earl Marrows
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About Stoddart Entertainment Group
Founded and led by producer Daniel Stoddart, Stoddart Entertainment Group is an Australian-based independent producer and theatrical development company dedicated to creating world-class live entertainment and championing new Australian stories. Working across commercial theatre, original musicals, festivals, youth arts initiatives and live experiences, the company develops productions that celebrate creativity, connect communities and inspire audiences of all ages. With a growing national and international footprint, Stoddart Entertainment Group is committed to investing in artists, fostering the next generation of theatre-makers and creating work with lasting cultural and commercial impact. Guided by its mission to Uplift the World Through Theatre, the company believes in the transformative power of live performance to bring people together through unforgettable shared experiences.
Bios
Earl Marrows (Composer)
Earl Marrows is a Green Room Award nominated composer, director, and writer based in Naarm, Melbourne. He has written music for all manner of dramatic forms including television, film and stage. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (Masters of Fine Arts - Musical Theatre Writing), Earl has written an array of original musical theatre pieces, including two major full length musicals and five short works. Most recently he collaborated with the New Studio on Broadway and Bookwriter/Lyricist Carrie Caffrey to develop his new original musical For Show which has since been performed in Toronto, Canada as well as at acclaimed New York Cabaret Venue, 54 Below.
His musical theatre work has been selected to be a part of the Lincoln Centre Library “Broadway’s Future Songbook” two years in a row. Earl’s first full-length musical theatre piece “Holloway: A New Musical” was staged in October of 2018 in Melbourne and sold out every performance over a two week run. He is also part of comedy musical theatre writing duo Marshall and Marrows whose two original musicals “Pining for Affection: A Tree Musical” and “Tone Death: A Ghost Musical” enjoyed full seasons as part of both the Melbourne Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in both 2018 and 2019. In 2023 Pining For Affection was restaged and subsequently nominated for the Green Room Award for ‘Best New Australian Musical Theatre Writing’. He collaborated with the Red Stitch Actors Theatre in 2019 composing music for the Australian premiere of Will Eno’s Wakey Wakey. Further credits include: On Hope: Digital Song Cycle (Developed in collaboration with The Other Palace), placing in Runner Up in the Mercury Theatre Songwriting competition, The GMTWP Pandemic Project: Twenty Twenty and composing for Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre’s new song cycle: Village Song.
As a screen composer Earl has composed for several short films including Jordan Law’s Littlefish. Earl has also written for television with his work appearing every Friday at 6pm on ABC’s hit sports talk-show “Sideliners”
Earl completed a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music with Honours at Monash University in Melbourne majoring in performance and musical composition. Earl won the Monash University and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) Pizzicato Effect Composition Prize and subsequently had his work performed by the MSO and Pizzicato Effect ensemble.
Dylan Marshall (Bookwriter/Lyricist)
Dylan Marshall is a Green Room Award nominated writer, director and lyricist based in Naarm, Melbourne. He has written and directed across both stage and screen, most notably forming one half of the musical theatre writing duo Marshall and Marrows. As part of this duo, Dylan has co-wrote, co-directed and co-produced two original musicals; ‘PiningFor Affection: A Tree Musical’ and ‘Tone Death: A Ghost Musical’, which both had successful runs at the Melbourne Fringe Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival across 2018 and 2019. The former show was restaged in 2023, receiving a Green Room Award nomination for ‘Best New Australian Musical Theatre Writing’.
As a screenwriter and director, Dylan has won the Phone It In Film Festival twice for his short films MacGuffin and Buddy & Cop in 2017. In 2023, he premiered his first self-financed feature film project, Comedown, which he wrote, directed and produced. He has also helped shoot multiple music videos for local artist Aunty MNGO, including their song The Brightest Timeline.
Outside of his creative pursuits, Dylan has a double degree in Law (Honours) and Arts from Monash University and enjoys reading YA murder mysteries, eating copious amounts of popcorn at the cinema and cuddling his cat Chilli.
Dylan Marshall & Earl Marrows
Phil Kettle (Original Author, Clancy of the Outback)
Phil Kettle is a much-loved Australian children's author and the recipient of multiple awards. Above all, Phil loves encouraging young readers and writers into a lifelong passion for creating stories. He can often be found giving workshops and presentations at schools and in engaging sports. He especially enjoys spending time playing footy or cricket and lives in regional Victoria.
Bob Andersen (Original Author, Clancy of the Outback)
Bob Andersen is an accomplished author and publisher who collaborated with Phil Kettle to bring Clancy of the Outback to life. With a personal background rooted in rural Australia, Bob’s contributions to the series reflect an authentic perspective on country living. His expertise in storytelling and publishing has been instrumental in crafting the engaging plots and relatable characters that define the series. Bob’s commitment to celebrating the Australian outback shines through in every Clancy story.
Phil Kettle & Bob Andersen
Images credit: Parenthesy