ABOUT
​Heartwarming, witty new Australian musical about women - their ambitions, relationships, desires and the fierce friendships that outlast it all.
A warm, funny and deeply honest new Australian musical about four women navigating the beautiful contradictions of modern womanhood: ambition and exhaustion, desire and duty, love and self-loss - and the friendships that carry them through it all. Created by ARIA award-winning singer-songwriter Amity Dry
(The Lighthouse), The Perfect Life is a celebration of the real stories we don’t post: the bathroom-floor doubts, the unexpected joy, and the fierce loyalty that lasts when everything else shifts. With a powerhouse cast of Australia’s finest musical theatre talent, it is part confession, part love letter, and entirely relatable.
★★★★★ THEATRE PEOPLE
CAST
Amity Dry is Lily
Amity Dry is the writer, composer and creator of The Perfect Life, previously titled 'Mother Wife & the Complicated Life.' She is best known for her roles on the hit TV show ‘The Block,’ her top 10 album ‘The Lighthouse’ and her hit cabaret shows.
The Lighthouse debuted in 2003, peaking at #6 on the Aria chart, certified Gold and featuring one of the most played songs on Australian radio that year. Her follow up album 'True to Me' achieved national airplay with the single Rollercoaster. Amity then wrote, composed and starred in the musical, 'Mother, Wife and the Complicated Life,' which played over 100 shows throughout Australia, receiving critical acclaim. It was selected for the 2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival, played at the ‘Commission for the Status of Women Conference’ at the United Nations, a concert at 54 Below New York, was translated into Norwegian for a season in Kristiansand, Norway, a tour in Finland and a West End showcase at the Whydham's Theatre London.
Amity’s also written and performed in the cabaret shows, '39 Forever', 'Fortified', 'Highway Superstar', 'So You Want To Be Famous' and 'Tapestry, A Tribute to Carole King,' with successful seasons in the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Cabaret Fringe and Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Chloe Zuel is Jess
Chloé Zuel has spent the last 14 years on Australian stages, best known for originating the role of ‘Eliza Hamilton’ in the Australian production of Hamilton The Musical. Most recently she played Elizabeth in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein play for Shake and Stir. Chloé previously originated the role of ‘Catherine of Aragon’ in the Australian cast of Six the Musical, played ‘Anita’ in West Side Story Australia, New Zealand, Germany and ‘Sarah’ in Ragtime for The Production Company. Prior to that, Chloé was Little Eva/Shirelles in the premier production of Beautiful; The Carole King Musical (Michael Cassel) and ‘Reno’ in Dusty for the Adelaide Production Company season.
Other theatre credits include: ‘Dynamite’ in Hairspray The Musical, ‘Pilar’ in Legally Blonde the Musical, ‘Maid’ in The Mikado for The Court Theatre Christchurch, ‘Éponine’ understudy in Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables, ‘Joanne’ in Rent for The Hayes Theatre, ‘Ronette’ in the Australian tour of Little Shop of Horrors and ‘Annie’ in Porgy and Bess for Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Following the birth of her son, Chloé returned to the stage In 2024 to perform in the concert Superstars – A Celebration of Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice for The Very Popular Theatre Company alongside Marina Prior, Silvie Paladino, Joshua Robson and Daniel Belle.
Kerrie Anne Greenland is Kate
Helpmann Award winner, Kerrie Anne Greenland holds a Bachelor of Arts Music Theatre and a Masters of Music Opera Performance.
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Opera roles include: Elle in La Voix Humaine, Euridice in Orpheus in the Underworld, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring.
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Music Theatre roles include: Ellen in Miss Saigon, Eponine in Les Miserables (Helpmann Award), Elegies (Green Room nomination), Violet in Side Show, offstage cover (Beetlejuice), Cassandra in Paris: A Rock Odyssey.
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Concert and Cabaret credits include: Carousel Enda Markey, The Australian Music Theatre Festival 2024, Rain or Shine, Pictures: Songs from Movie Musicals, Carols at the House Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Orchestra.
Dee Farnell is Bec
Dee’s mosaic-like career has spanned many genres and geographies taking her across the world, workingfrom session singing in the recording studio, to conducting 500 voice choirs, to performing for tens or thousands.
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Her Musical Theatre credits include: Ms Pennywise in The Hayes’ production of Urinetown (dir. Ylaria Rogers), Sylvia St Croix in Ruthless at The Q (dir. Jordan Best), Shirley and others in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at The Gatehouse Theatre (London) (dir. Racky Plews).
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Dee is a sought after vocal director and tutor and absolutely loves her current main gig, teaching on the Elder Conservatorium Musical Theatre course.
CREATIVE TEAM
Music & Lyrics by Amity Dry
Arrangements by Matthew Brind
Additional Arrangements by Marco Callisto
Original Arrangements by Mark Ferguson
Produced by Popjam Productions
Directed by Jo Casson
Musical Direction by Martin Cheney
Production - Mosiac
Sound Design - Jamie Mensforth
Stage Manager - Amanda Rowe
Production Assistant - Nikki Earl
REVIEWS
Reviews from the 2015 Australian production - formerly titled 'Mother, Wife & the Complicated Life'
“This is the start of something big for this witty musical comedy that depicts real life to a tee...Writer, producer and performer Amity Dry has nailed it with Mother, Wife and the Complicated Life. This sassy, tell-it-how-it-is story seems so obvious it’s a wonder no one has thought of it before… It’s slick and snappy, with witty lyrics and belly laughs aplenty. Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5”
- Jo McEniery, ARTSHUB
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“If you’re lucky, you find musicals that are funny and endearing and speak to you on a personal level. This is one of those musicals. Amity Dry is extremely clever in not only writing music and lyrics, but in crafting a book which is largely vignette based and reminiscent of the revue styles of Nunsense and Menopause the Musical. It’s a genuinely warm and witty show and great entertainment value. And how wonderful to be able to say that it’s entirely Australian.”
- Carol Drouyn, STAGE WHISPERS
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“This beautifully written musical explores the reality of marriage and motherhood…Where Dry has succeeded is in writing an endearing story that moves between lighter and darker moments seamlessly…The funnier moments are appropriately over-the-top, while the darker moments are handled with tenderness and sincerity…Mother Wife and the Complicated Life is a musical that Australia should be proud to claim as being home-grown, that has also succeeded on the international stage and Amity Dry has proven to be a truly talented composer, writer and performer. Let’s hope there’s much more to come. Rating: 5 Stars”
- Alison Hillbig, THEATRE PEOPLE
“Completing the rarely achieved task of writing the book, music and lyrics, Amity Dry displays keen insight and strong empathy for a range of characters at differing points of motherhood…The combination of intelligent songs and excellent performers creates abundant laugh-out-loud moments as the audience recognises and appreciates the characters’ situations. Given the potentially frothy nature of such entertainment, Dry bravely includes serious emotional moments that address some rarely spoken truths behind motherhood. The risk pays off with a deeper, more involving show that provides food for thought in addition to all the laughs.”
- Simon Parris, MAN IN CHAIR
“There's much humour in all of this but also a good-hearted realism about the physical realities of birth and babies and sexuality that the cast (and the audience) clearly relishes. It certainly deserves to find an audience who will appreciate its frankness, energy and fun.”
- Alana Maclean, THE AGE | SYDNEY MORNING HEARLD | THE GUARDIAN
"Not since I watched Bridget Jones's Diary as a desperately single 30 year old have I identified so strongly with a story. Mother, Wife and the Complicated Life is hands down my favourite musical of all time because it so sublimely captures the joys of motherhood along with the moments that have us reaching for the wine. Go see it. Then just try and wipe the smile off your face. It is nothing short of brilliant."
- Rebecca Sparrow, MAMAMIA.COM.AU
“A chick’s night out, a celebration of female friendships and a laughing examination of girl power. At a time when new musicals all seem to be imported re-hashes of movies, this is a home-grown gem.”
- ADELAIDE THEATRE GUIDE
