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Described as a ‘musical fairytale’ it centres around Zanna, a love fairy, whose job is to find people with ‘extra love’ and pair them with their perfect match. Guys with the guys and girls with the girls, nothing could be more perfect! That is until two rebel opposite-sex Heartsville High students create a storm of heterophobia by falling in love. It’s up to Zanna to ‘make the world safe for heterosexuals’, but what cost will he pay to create a safe world in which his friends can love in peace?

What a crazy show! If you have no idea what to expect it may take you awhile to adjust to a world where gay is the thing to be, as ‘Zanna Don’t’ is totally set in a gay fairytale world. And it is a crazy happy tuneful show delivered by a strong orchestra with every cast member having a Broadway ready voice of great power. Whilst Act One is way too long, overall the piece is an old fashioned musical all about love, and what we’ll do to get it.

As the show is totally written as a gay mans fantasy, I was surprised the female characters were so real, and not as badly written nor with the hate often shown in some gay musicals, (namely, ‘Boy Meets Boy’). As the story is about love and betrayal, rather than being written as shrews or bitches, they are well rounded characters, with some great songs.

I have always had a girl crush on Janelle Pollock since seeing her in ‘Rent’. As per usual her voice could strip paint from 50 feet. Could happily listen to her for hours. Her Roberta has some of the best lines and brings great heart to what is a different type of lesbian character. Katie Evans as the conflicted bisexual plays a great ingénue and is another with a just fantastic voice. Hannah Bain rounds out the female ensemble with endless energy, another power house vocalist and great comedy skills.

The show has male characters to kill for, and the male ensemble are more than up for the challenge of love songs and kooky ballads. Director and actor Stuart James brings a tender sweet quality to Mike, especially in his really tender ballads. Vocally outstanding and a strong presence on stage, he brings a strong comedic sense to the show as well. And is hot. LeRoi is my ex boyfriend so I cannot comment on him. He is hot. Jesse Finn playing the bisexual football star has one of the strongest voices but never over shadows his cast members. A hard role, he succeeds admirably. He is hot. Josh Hopton-Stewart is a very good performer who never stops working from start to finish and his years of musical theatre experience are all on display in a tour de force performance. He needs to hot Oz and the professional scene over there. Jared Pallesen makes a bold choice to totally play Zanna as almost a cartoon character, and it succeeds. He has an really strong voice and makes the character a fun, yet also heart felt creation. I just thought his last BIG song did not hit the heights to needed to, to deliver on the themes of the piece.

Whilst sound issues hampered some of the second half, the real fun for the audience was the bizarre work of the scenic re-arrangers. Seemingly have decided to be characters in the piece, they often seem to be moving the bulky set around for no reason at all apart from moving it. It did make for some merriment when it also seemed a fight was going to break out between them. Bizarre. The design is also a little, unfocused and needs either stripping back or amped up. Here, it seems to be all over the show.

All in all, the show itself is easily one of the strongest in the ‘gay musical’ cannon, and this is a fine production that will appeal to people of all ages. Good, gay fun with many laughs and a great score well sung. Congrats to all involved.