Seymour’s Vietnam ties inspire Dogfight musical debut

Dogfight is set in 1967 and focuses on Marine veteran Eddie Birdlace, who has returned to the United States after the Vietnam War.

“We’ve been working on it since April, and the idea was planted last year, and then we’ve been slowly working away at it,” Ms Pennington said.

“The reason why the idea seed planted was that I have loved this musical for a long time.”

Ms Pennington, who recently moved to Victoria, was told by her co-director, Madeleine Lezon, that Seymour had many connections to the Vietnam War.

“I was like, ‘Oh, this could be a really good place to do this musical that I’ve loved for a really long time’,” Ms Pennington said.

Ms Lezon, who returned to Seymour Performers Workshop after finishing uni for the production of Legally Blonde last year, said it was great to reconnect with her community.

“Some people that I’ve grown up with, but also some new faces, and I just found it to be a really supportive, lovely environment,” she said.

“When Lucy mentioned that she really loved the show and that she wouldn’t mind giving directing the show a go, I was like ‘oh, I know where we could do that’.

“It’s great, and it’s turned out wonderfully.”

Dogfight is Ms Pennington and Ms Lezon’s first go at directing. Ms Pennington’s background is primarily in musical direction and conduction, and also worked for the Australian Girls Choir in the Australian School of Performing Arts in Canberra.

“First time directing, but not a stranger to producing,” Ms Pennington said.

“I don’t have a lot of musical experience background, so I think one of the features of growing up in our area is that, especially 10 years ago, before the internet became such a big thing, is that there weren’t the same opportunities for young people that we’re offering now at Seymour Performers Workshop,” Ms Lezon said.

“Apart from sort of school productions and that sort of thing, I just didn’t have the opportunity to get involved in something of this sort of scale.

“It’s been really great to just sort of get back to the creative roots.”

Dogfight appeared on Broadway in 2012, and had its European premiere in London in 2014.

“It is a relatively lesser known show. It’s still huge ... It’s got a cult following,” Ms Lezon said.

“The writers are the same writers as the music for The Greatest Showman and La La Land, and like really big blockbuster things.

“I think something that really made me want to do it was just how I love serious acting.

“We don’t see a lot of musicals that really get into, particularly not in the community theatre space, really get into pain, struggle and dealing with complex themes like power, post-traumatic stress, misogyny, and that just engaged me so much.”

Both directors are excited to show Dogfight to the Seymour community.

“The show is genuinely, I think, going to be like just a totally new calibre performance,” Ms Lezon said.

“It’s a pedestrian style musical, so it's not like Thoroughly Modern Millie or a Disney musical everyone comes in and does a giant tap number and then goes away. It’s very stylised,” Ms Pennington said.

“It’s very like you’re walking on the street, but it’s all very magical.”

Dogfight will open on Saturday, November 9 at 7.30pm at the Seymour College Art Centre.

“You can get tickets via our website, or we also have a phone number that you can call if you are not keen on using the internet,” Ms Pennington said.

“You’ll also be able to buy tickets at the door and the tickets are $30 for members and $35 for non-members.

“We have pre-show entertainment, so we are encouraging people to come a little bit earlier, and come see our show entertainment, have a couple of drinks.”

In partnership with Seymour Performers Workshop, The Telegraph will be giving away a double pass for Dogfight’s opening night.

To be in the running, fill out the giveaway form on page 12 of the October 30 edition, and make sure to get the question right.

More details available on the form.