PARADE

Director: Jonty Climo

Vocal Director: Courteney Mayall

Choreographer: Hannah Doherty

Band Director: Katie Wigmore

Producer: Deller Productions

The Meteor, 10-18 April 2026

In an extraordinary twist of fate, writer Jason Robert Brown now has two musicals playing in the region at the same time, the first as per Thursday's review (13: The Musical at Morrinsville Theatre), and now Deller Productions' Parade at The Meteor.

Set in 1913 Georgia, Leo Frank is charged with the murder of a young factory worker. His wife Lucille and a Governor are his only supporters. The United States sordid past is put under the microscope in this award-winning musical.

Bailey Lindsey (Leo Frank) and Hannah-Rose Cook (Lucille Frank)

Bailey Lindsey (Leo Frank) never misses regardless of the part he is playing, and this time showed off his tenor range. Hannah-Rose Cook (Lucille Frank) has an exquisite soprano voice, and a knack for accents. Together, Lindsey and Cook were magnificent in the delivery of their roles.

Alex Smith (Hugh Dorsey) was a chilling villain. Smith’s performance alone is worth the ticket price.  Alxyz Adove (Frankie Epps) has an effortless musicality that seems tangible. Jack Turner (Britt Craig) brought his reliable character work to his role, specifically with “Big News”. Moshe Merz (Jim Conley) showcased his ability to play a grittier role. The chain gang rhythmic anthem “Blues: Feel The Rain” was perfectly suited to Merz’s vocal and acting strengths. From the younger cast members to the more experienced, the talent was undeniable.

Moshe Merz (Jim Conley)

Let’s get into the creative aspects. Right off the bat, a massive shoutout to Tracey Wilson and her wardrobe team for their costumes, top to toe. Nary a jazz or character shoe in sight, all cast were either in lace-up boots or Oxfords. The costumes fitted like gloves, particularly Hugh Dorsey’s suit. The muted colourway of beige, off-white, washed out blues, dusty pink and greys was consistent throughout and leant into the overall unrest in the script and songs.

Lighting designer and operator Nathan Hancock crafted tension and unease with desaturated tones. Hancock found places to highlight individual instruments, for example Geoffrey Smith’s clarinet during dialogue between Lindsey’s character and Conor Maxwell (Mr Peavy). What sublime attention to detail.

Ashleigh Smith (Piccolo) and Geoffrey Smith (Clarinet)

Sound designer and operator Eric Cowan did not miss a cue and struck an excellent balance between vocals and instruments. His steady levels and transitions were faultless.

Choreographer Hannah Doherty drew on her extensive dance background to create larger scale numbers to smaller routines. The flapper-esque movements were a delight, and the cast performed the numbers confidently.

Courteney Mayall’s schedule has been packed to the brim for years. What a stroke of luck that she was able to squeeze in vocal direction of Parade. The first full ensemble number indicated what was in store, especially when the voices of Alex Smith and Lucy Thomas swelled the sound. In every role mentioned above, Mayall’s vocal direction was paramount in the cast executing their solos to a high standard.  

Hallelujah, Katie Wigmore and her ten-piece band were situated stage right and able to be seen.  Wigmore pulled in some of the region’s best musicians and had them performing tightly through the blues/Gospel/march/ragtime score. Just a note – doors open at 7pm and for the thirty minutes prior to the show starting, the band has a Jazz inspired jam session. This is a fantastic way for the band to warm up, and the atmosphere to be established. 10/10. Special mention to Jacqui McPherson who played the accordion. This added a unique dimension to the mix.

Alxyz Adove (Frankie Epps)

Deller Productions are no longer the fledgling new kids on the block theatre company. Under Jonty Climo, they have established themselves as an up-to-date theatrical force. The digital marketing campaigns are slick, the show choices are brave, and the cast, band and crew lists are stacked with talent. If Deller began as a “needs must” enterprise, it has undoubtedly brought fresh thinking to the local scene. Climo is an innovative director whose interpretations are inspired.

Parade sits comfortably amongst the top five musicals I have seen performed at The Meteor in the last decade. For those interested in what can be achieved in a black box theatre creatively and technically, this show must be seen.

Disclaimer: Parade comes loaded with warnings about the themes of racism, antisemitism, sexual violence and death. There is no hiding from the topics, but Climo ensured they were handled in an appropriate way.

Photographs: Caitlin Morris

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