Cloudland the Musical

After a decade of research and development and this year; marking 40 years since it’s controversial demise, an original Australian production about ‘The Greatest Ballroom in the Southern Hemisphere’ will for the first time, tour all the Eastern states of Australia.
With a cast of 30 Singers, Dancers, Musicians and Actors, Cloudland the Musical features some of Queensland’s newest and brightest artistic talent alongside home grown, world class seasoned performers.
“The performing Arts has been doing it tough for the last couple of years, it’s incredibly satisfying to have a unique, original Australian project that’s assisting a cast of entirely Brisbane based Artists to stay working. Not to mention the 15 or so behind the scenes crew who have also been struggling for work.” Paul Hayman, Writer, Director and Producer of Cloudland the Musical explains.
Cloudland Ballroom was no ordinary music venue and this is no ordinary Musical. Cloudland the Musical features the music of Iconic Australian & international artists such as: Featuring the music of: Cold Chisel, Buddy Holly, The Angels, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny O’Keefe, The Bee Gees, Australian Crawl, The Go Betweens, Mental as Anything, Split Enz and more.
All of these artists performed at Cloudland during her 43 year reign as the premier live music venue.
“This music score has then been woven into a storyline based on real events. The story follows the lives of 3 generations of a typical Australian family and the way in which Cloudland influences and impacts each of their lives.
“To write a Musical about an inanimate object such as a building required some thinking outside the box.” Hayman explains, “As when it stood, Cloudland continues to live in the hearts and minds of those who went there. It’s these memories I have drawn upon to help bring our ‘Hero’, Cloudland, to life. She was more than just another venue. Cloudland was the cultural and social hub of Brisbane for over 40 years.”
Community, is the central topic to this Musical and is evidenced by the unique way in which the production has involved the general public: ‘Memoirs of Cloudland’, an initiative designed by Mr Hayman, is an opportunity for the public to tell their stories about Cloudland Ballroom on camera. A montage of the stories collected from the public are then screened pre-show.
“There’s a lot to be learnt from the story about Cloudland. It’s an important part of Queensland’s history and its memory needs to be preserved for both current and future generations.”
Cloudland the Musical will begin touring in October 2022 through to March 2023. Regions for the first instalment of the tour include: 15 October: Brolga Theatre Maryborough, 28 October: Moncrieff Theatre, Bundaberg, 30 October: The Star, Gold Coast, 11 November: Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton and 13 November: Mackay Entertainment Centre.
For further information or to book tickets visit www.cloudlandthemusical.com.
Cloudland the Musical is supported by the Australian Government through the RISE Arts program.