Mushroom acts involved in new ‘Starstruck’ musical revival

Songs from Mushroom’s records and publishing will be used in the new musical adaption of the 1982 Australian movie Starstruck.

The musical was announced yesterday, as a partnership between Garry McQuinn and Rina Gill’s RGM Productions, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and the NSW government’s tourism and events agency Destination NSW.

The movie, directed by Gillian Armstrong, centred around Sydney teenager Jackie Mullens who tends the bar at her mother’s failing pub (overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge) and dreams about becoming a singing success.

She is aided and abetted with some zany publicity stunts by her 14-year-old cousin Angus, who has his own vision of becoming a music entrepreneur.

The original soundtrack yielded the hit single Body And Soul, written by Tim Finn and sung by the lead actress Jo Kennedy. It peaked at #5 on the ARIA chart.

The Swingers, who were seen performing in the film, contributed a number of songs, including the title track written by Phil Judd.

The Monkey in Me! was by Dennis Nattrass, Mental As Anything contributed Humming A Tune, and Ross O’Donovan’s I Want To Live In A House was produced by Ian Meldrum.

The movie was written by Stephen MacLean, a one-time music journalist who was a features writer for Go-Set magazine.

Michael Gudinski, founder and chairman of Mushroom said “it’s very exciting that Starstruck will come to life again.

“Mushroom’s artists and songwriters contributed most of the music in the film in 1982.

“It was a great movie that was ahead of its time.

“The musical will feature a lot more Mushroom songs from the era that will bring great energy to the stage.”

Co-producer McQuinn agrees the dare-to-dream movie was ahead of its time.

“It’s a neglected classic; people forget how original and influential the film was,” he points out.

“Jackie Mullen strutting across the Sydney Opera House’s stage with her punk hair in her neon-lit tutu, tiara and gloves, anticipated Madonna‘s Like A Virgin by two years.”

Work on the musical begins this month with preliminary workshops involving both undergraduate and post-graduate NIDA students.

The book for the musical has been written by musical theatre actor Mitchell Butel.

Directed by Simon Phillips (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Ladies in Black, Muriel’s Wedding), the musical will showcase NIDA’s graduating class of 2019 when it premieres at the Parade Theatre late next year.