Constant improvements being made to musical Muriel’s Wedding

Actors Natalie Abbott and Stefanie Jones say writer of Muriel’s Wedding and the musical directors have been constantly making changes to the award-winning production to draw more people to the show.

If you’re expecting more of the same when Muriel’s Wedding comes to town for a second time, think again.

Actors Natalie Abbott and Stefanie Jones say writer PJ Hogan and musical directors Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall are constantly making improvements to the award-winning musical production.

“It is very different,” Abbott told Confidential.

Muriel's Wedding actors Natalie Abbott and Stefanie Jones say the musical show has changed constantly. Picture: Justin Lloyd

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“I saw it the first time in Sydney and the thing that is so incredible about the production and creative team is that they had a fantastic product and they could have left it but they didn’t. “They made some changes, edited some things and so there are things that have been added and changed or taken away and it has enhanced it. It has grown a lot.”

Muriel’s Wedding will make its Sydney return next month, opening on July 4 at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre after the past few months playing in Melbourne.

The show will make a return next month at the Lyric Theatre. Picture: David Caird

The all original production had its world premiere to critical acclaim at the Sydney Theatre Company in November 2017.

Abbott plays Muriel in the role made famous by Toni Collette in the acclaimed 1994 feature film while Jones will be seen as Rhonda, who was played by Rachel Griffiths.

The roles of Muriel and Rhonda were played by Maggie McKenna and Madeleine Jones in the original 2017 production.

Muriel’s Wedding remains an iconic movie from the 90s.

“I pinned all my hopes and dreams on this one,” Jones explained.

“It was a bit of a risky move on my part because there’s not a lot of work going in Australia and you sort of have to take what you can get, not that I am not grateful for other jobs I have had previously.

“I did get offered a job that I was umming and ahhing about and I didn’t know that I wanted to do it because I knew in my heart that I wanted to do Muriel’s Wedding and the auditions hadn’t happened yet and I had no gauge of how I would go in that process. I wanted to do it because it is Australian. This was fresh and new and exciting, that is why I wanted it.”

Originally published as Constant improvements being made to musical Muriel’s Wedding