Cast announced for Round The Twist The Musical

Following months of auditions and casting calls, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Queensland Theatre have finalised the cast for Round The Twist The Musical, premiering to the world in Brisbane this November.

The brand-new musical, created and composed by Paul Hodge and directed by Simon Phillips, brings to life the unforgettable characters and iconic storylines of the children’s series Round the Twist, which was based on the seminal short stories of legendary Australian author Paul Jennings.

In an old lighthouse, single dad Tony Twist and his kids Pete, Linda and Bronson embark on a magical adventure to unravel a 100-year-old mystery and rewrite history.  

Director Simon Phillips said audiences should strap themselves in for a jam-packed and mind-bending night out at the theatre that’s unashamedly Australian.

"At the heart of Round the Twist are the Twist children, aided and abetted by their schoolyard friends and foes. Their intrepid adventures drive the madcap plot, giving us a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the most exciting young musical theatre talent in our country, while a handful of much-loved theatrical luminaries struggle to exert parental control.

“Despite how the world has changed since Round the Twist first aired, Paul Jennings captured the whole experience of growing up so well, and this is why these characters and their escapades have endured.”

Tony Twist will be played by Matt Hetherington, Eddison Ai and brothers Luca and Sebastian Sero will share the role of plucky 10-year-old Bronson, Hanlon Innocent will fill the role of Pete, and Charly Oakley will play his twin sister, Linda.

The despicable Gribble family is led by David James as property developer Harold Gribble and Tarita Bostman as Matron Gribble as they try to take over the lighthouse for the Gribble-Aquaworld-Casino-Pizza-Parlour-Burger-Joint-Amusement-Park. Nick Van Lits plays Gribble Jnr.

The musical adaptation of Round the Twist will cover the first two seasons of the television series and has Jennings’ blessing thanks to Hodge’s staunch faithfulness to the spirit of the show.

Writer of Book, Music and Lyrics Paul Hodge said the musical was designed to be something you could bring the whole family to and was excited a whole new generation would get to experience the fun and zaniness of Round the Twist.

“If you sing ‘Have you ever, ever felt like this?’ to Aussies of a certain age, they will immediately sing you the rest of the famous theme tune from Round the Twist. The theme song is critically important to the musical as a touchstone throughout, and I’ve listened to a lot of contemporary Australian music to help create the musical language of the show.

“Paul Jennings really understands the emotional, awkward and embarrassing parts of growing up and the TV show has a lot of heart, so it’s been very important to me to maintain that as well as all the strange things happening.”

The world premiere season of Round the Twist The Musical is co-presented by QPAC and Queensland Theatre. With the original theme song by Andrew Duffield, the musical is based on the television series produced by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) from the short stories of Paul Jennings.

Round The Twist The Musical is supported by Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative, Queensland Theatre’s Landmark Productions Fund Donors and Production Partner Griffith University.

Round The Twist The Musical is on at the QPAC Playhouse from 12 November – 1 December 2024. Tickets are available from QPAC.