Melvyn Morrow

Melvyn Morrow’s first scripts were performed by Gordon Chater and Jill Perryman at the Phillip Theatre, the Downstairs Revue and in The Mavis Bramston Show. His musicals (book & lyrics) include: Morality! (Edinburgh Festival, London Fringe, off-off-Broadway and Sydney (retitled Between Earth and Sky); Postcards From Provence, (starring Opera Australia baritone, John Pringle – Zenith Theatre and ABC Radio); Vroom Vroom (Theatre South); Mad Louisa Lawson (Stables); Offenbach In The Underworld and When It Happens (Café Basilica); and seven Christmas at The Opera House pantomimes including the nationally popular Santa Meets The Bushrangers

Melvyn’s TV credits include Sons and Daughters, The Mike Walsh Show, Star Search and many ABC/Opera Australia simulcasts including the Tribute to Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge. His musical A Song To Sing, O, the story of Gilbert and Sullivan and George Grossmith, was produced by Dame Bridget D’Oyly Carte at London’s Savoy Theatre and directed by the author. Australian productions have starred Anthony Warlow, Dennis Olsen and Christopher Hamilton. Over the years, Melvyn has updated book and lyrics for Opera Australia’s The Gondoliers (four productions) and The Mikado, and for Simon Gallaher’s Gilbert and Sullivan trilogy, The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore

With David Mitchell, Melvyn wrote the musicals Peter DawsonOff The Record (Adelaide Festival 1988) and Jack O’Hagan’s Here Comes Showtime (Marian St) and the lyrics for the song ‘Lest I Forget‘ (Rebel) recorded by Debra Byrne and Judi Connelli. With Justin Fleming, Melvyn wrote Something Out Of Heaven, a play about Mary MacKillop, Australia’s first saint. His plays include Beating A Retreat (Stables 1995) and A Touch Of Paradise (Downstairs Belvoir St 2000). He devised and directed the cabarets Broadway Bard (Bell Shakespeare Company, Café Basilica, Teatro Vivaldi) Tae Kwon Shakespeare (festivals Australia wide) and High School Romeo which won the 2006 AWGIE for Music Theatre. In 1996, Melvyn was nominated for a Mo Award for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Musical Theatre. He is the co-writer of the national hits, SHOUT! and Dusty – The Original Pop Diva

Melvyn’s most recent works include the life story of the larger than life Lorenzo da Ponte, Mozart’s principal librettist. Starring international Australian bass, Damian Whiteley, Mozart and ME has toured Australia and New Zealand. Melvyn’s scurrilous rewrite of The Mikado is called The BIG MAKado or Three Little Maids from Schoolies.