OBSERVER: Hair, love-rock musical
Opening with the iconic Aquarius, Hair, the “tribal love-rock musical,” encourages its audience to turn on, tune in, and drop out alongside its hippies as they fight the system.
The 1960s counterculture aimed to create a new society, and Hair’s loose plot and over 30 songs reflect issues like sexual identity, racism, drug taking and the Vietnam War.
Act One introduces various characters through short vignettes interwoven with songs and comedy.
Energetic and enthusiastic, the ensemble cast remains onstage for most of the show.
Maxwell Simon, as the free-spirited Berger, sets the flower-power tone with Donna followed by Hashish.
Standouts include Clay Darius as Hud confronting civil rights in Aint Got No. Giorgia Kennedy’s ‘Frank Mills’ is also a highlight.
Other notable performers are Rosie Meader’s Jeanie, Zahrah Andrews’ Dionne, Larissa Teale’s Angela, and Linden Trescott’s backflip.
Act Two unmasks the darker side of the 1960s. As Claude, Alex Cooper’s heartfelt Where Do I Go? reflects his existential crisis, torn between burning his draft card and fighting.
Kaspa’s weird and wonderful, slo-mo, psychedelic acid-trip projections, along with Harrison Cope’s wild lighting effects, mirror Claude’s anxiety about being drafted to fight in Vietnam.
A scene where a giant stars-and-stripes flag spreads across the stage as backdrop to the war with projected scenes of fighting echoes the recent speech by American ‘Secretary of War’ Pete Hegseth to military leaders.
This juxtaposition adds a poignancy to the numbers What a Piece of Work is Man and Good Morning Starshine.
The original production of Hair shocked audiences, not just with its nude scene but also with its anti-war message.
It feels like a fitting revival in 2025 when the world is still grappling with war and its consequences.
Performance Season: Until November 30
Venue: Athenaeum Theatre, Collins St., Melbourne
Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au
Review by Kathryn Keeble
Pictured: Australian cast of Hair.
Photo: Ben Fon