Actor-director Jay James-Moody is not one to do things by halves.
The award-winning performer and artistic director from Arncliffe stars in Herringbone, the darkly comic vaudevillian ghost story told by larger than life characters which will take to the Kings Cross Theatre stage for a limited season from January 18.
James-Moody assumes the title role of Herringbone and the 10 characters that live inside him.
He said he was thrilled to be involved with such a unique production and the “schizophrenic” nature of his role.
“This show is a bit of a fun-house ride of farce and fear,” James-Moody said.
“It requires a very schizophrenic performance that is also rooted in the old-time vaudeville style.
“I think audiences are going to be thrilled and fascinated by this highly unusual and entertaining tale of the search for fame, fortune and revenge.’’
Set in Alabama during the Great Depression, eight-year-old George is taken under the wing of a vaudeville veteran, Chicken, in the hopes of George making it big in Hollywood.
However, things go awry when the malevolent spirit of Lou, Chicken’s former partner, hijacks George’s body to exact his revenge and stage a comeback.
Herringbone is being presented by Squabbalogic which aims to stage an eclectic range of local premieres of the best new musicals and reinterpretations of outstanding musical theatre.
Squabbalogic’s past productions include The Drowsy Chaperone, Man of La Mancha, Carrie: The Musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and The Original Grease.
James-Moody, who was recently lauded for his role in Hayes Theatre Co’s She Loves Me and was a member of the original Australian company of The Book of Mormon, said Squabbalogic productions were always special.
‘‘It’s so thrilling to be returning to the intimate, unique and obscure storytelling that established Squabbalogic’s reputation,” he said.
Herringbone is co-directed by James-Moody and Green Room award winner Michael Ralph (The Boy From Oz, Dusty), and musically directed by Benjamin Kiehne (The Ten Tenors).
See James-Moody’s enthralling performance in Herringbone from January 18 to February 2 at Kings Cross Theatre (KXT), Level 2, Kings Cross Hotel, Kings Cross.
Tickets here