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'only good times'

  • Writer: Amanda Riddell
    Amanda Riddell
  • Jan 10, 2025
  • 1 min read

This is the most common criticism of Shipwrecked On Islands: 'we love those songs, but that story is too dark. Please put those in a story that's nice, like that Tina and Jade story.' Newsflash: life isn't only good times, and some of the best musicals ever are actually about really dark subject matter. Sweeney Todd, Carousel, Next to Normal (which I hate), plus operas basically live in gothic darkness. - It's a really good political satire, and that's why people want to silence it or gentrify it. Peter and Fran certainly haven't said that. Taika either. Maybe that's why they're the rich and powerful people that encourage me, while the middle managers that are razzing me aren't so ballsy.

 
 
 

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1 Comment

Amanda Riddell
Amanda Riddell
Jan 10, 2025

The fables are a really good example of this. Though Weeded Out was good, those fables are the stories that the Film Commission wants to hear more about. They're uncompromisingly dark, but most importantly they're the right genres (rather than yet more musicals). Film buffs love dark sci-fi and horror.

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