Lizzie did nothing wrong.

In the middle of Winter, there are two brutal axe murders going on at the Circa Theatre every night. You should absolutely go see a couple.

Lizzie presented by WITCH Music Theatre, produced by Ben & Joshua Tucker-Emerson, is a high-energy histo-remix that centres around the real-life murders of Andrew and Abby Borden and the alleged culprit, Lizzie Borden. The musical has been running internationally for over ten years and has hit Wellington in style, contesting the wind for the privilege of blowing us away.

And blow us away, it does.

From the moment the music starts, the whole audience knows they’re in for something special. The actresses emerge from the shadows and deliver a solemn, creepy version of the classic nursery rhyme, Forty Whacks. The band then kicks into high gear and the energy doesn’t drop for the entire 85-minute runtime.

Bailey Twomey (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Tapuika) stars as the eponymous Lizzie Borden and embodies happiness, angst and pain on her face in every scene she’s in. Her emotional range is immense, and the audience empathises with her plight at every turn. In the first half, there’s a bit of a struggle to hear the words, most likely due to the mix. I’m not sure what they did during the interval, but once the second half begins, she’s as clear as day. The way she belts is extraordinary and left my jaw hanging from its hinges.

Playing her older sister, Emma Borden, is Jane Leonard (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine), a powerful vocalist who fires on all cylinders in every song. She doesn’t miss a single note in the entire show and lends a strong presence, both in character and in performance. There’s a part of the show where she seems to disappear for a little bit and her mien is sorely missed. It’s that absence that truly adds to the loneliness that Lizzie feels and it’s just such well-structured narrative. Leonard delivers completely on the big sister energy she needs to nail this role.

As a secondary conscience to Lizzie, Rachel McSweeney plays Alice Russell, the next-door neighbour and lover who represents the ever-fading innocence that Lizzie is letting go of. McSweeney is such a sweetheart performer and captures the hearts of every member of the audience. Her acting skills are predominantly held in her eyes as she offers long, meaningful gazes into the audience. I swear there are sparkles in her eyes as their pierce the veil between her and us. She’s a mesmerising actress with the vocal chops to back her up.

Rounding out the cast is Aimée Sullivan as my personal favourite, Bridget Sullivan, known as ‘Maggie’ to the sisters who never bothered to learn their new maid’s name after the old one died. She is so cheeky and mischievous and has an phenomenally fun charisma where you’re never quite sure if she saying something innocuous, or hinting at a recommendation for murder. The quick glances into the audience, the quiet shrugs, and the quaint curtsies of innocence are such enjoyable little character moments that Sullivan executes so charmingly.

All four performers are amazing singers who complement each other, despite all being incredible individually. There is no outshining of each other, no competition for the spotlight. It’s all communicated passing of lyrics and cleanly choreographed motions. Each of them gets their moments which seem to come at the perfect time for each of their arcs. It was no surprise to see Maya Handa Naff (Wicked, Les Misérables) as the Vocal Director. Her influence shines through completely. All of them had the audience hollering for more of their vocal magic.

The magic extends to the staging too, by Joshua Tucker-Emerson. The set is static for the most part and sells itself as a classic 1892 house that isn’t too extravagant, nor is it a ruin. There are little bits and bobs of detail hidden around which end up being part of the numerous set pieces that wow the audience. There are wind machines, smoke manipulate, scented diffusions that all add to the immersion of the scenes. My favourite bit is the sudden appearance of microphones that are picked out from strategically selected locations around the stage. Whenever one showed up, I knew we were in for a hell of a belt, and they delivered every single time. They just know exactly how to get an audience excited.

Maintaining that hype is the band which absolutely slay the punk rock vibe that Lizzie is going for. Steve Morrison on the guitar shreds hard, Bec Watson uses the drums for far more than just keeping a beat and Grace Kendrick on the bass maintains a sick groove that keeps my head banging throughout. Esther Lee on the cello pulls those strings to produce the most poignant of moments, and Hayden Taylor (Ngāi Tahu) on the keys pulls double duty in perfectly conducting the instruments. The amount of talent around the stage is insane. This musical calls for such specific skills to make the specific genre explode, and each musician nails their assignment.

In fact, the whole cast and crew of Lizzie nails the assignment. Directors Ben Tucker-Emerson and Greta Casey-Solly (Te Atiawa) have designed a show that can rely completely on the people on the ground floor. Debs Thomas (Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, Ngāti Matangiau) and Alex Fisher produce phenomenal lighting states that paint a luminary image upon the stage to reinforce emotions. There’s a moment where Lizzie walks across the stage without a lumen on her, and her silhouette looks gorgeous against her co-stars in the background. The costumes, designed by Rhys Tunley, are all impeccable and the second half black dress had me spellbound.

Lizzie had me completely enraptured from start to finish. The quality is consistent, which makes those ‘wow’ moments come fervently and frequently. It’s a massive boost for the Winter and a reason to get excited for theatre in Wellington. Anyone looking for a guaranteed mood lifter needs to get to Circa Theatre asap. This play is absolutely worth the time. For the entire evening, the product was polished and exciting. Nobody was out of step and everything just worked so well. I’ll say it again.

Lizzie did nothing wrong.

Lizzie is running from 10th of August to the 7th of September at Circa Theatre. Tickets available from the Circa Theatre website.

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I may be quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show.
Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.