ABOUT THE SHOW

He’s the horse that stopped a nation, forever immortalised in Melbourne Museum’s most popular exhibit. Now, the unlikely hero who captured the country’s imagination with a legendary Melbourne Cup victory is the subject of a delightfully inventive musical-comedy. 

Directed by Sheridan Harbridge (co-writer, My Brilliant Career), with book, lyrics and a thumping electro-swing score by Steven Kramer, this is an all-singing, all-dancing ensemble of larrikins, gamblers, jockeys and true believers. It tells the tale of Phar Lap (Joel Granger) and down-on-his-luck trainer Harry Telford, who nudged American businessman David Davis to take a punt on the gangly New Zealand colt at a 1928 auction for the bargain price of 160 guineas. What unfolds is a story brimming with ‘wit, humour and enormous heart’ (The Guardian) and an infectious song list inspired by Duke Ellington and Daft Punk that’s sure to follow you right out of the gate and all the way home. 

Both joyous and unbelievably catchy, this ‘crowd-pleasing spectacle’ (Time Out) won three Sydney Theatre Awards including Best Production of a Musical at its Hayes Theatre Co. premiere in 2025. 

A Hayes Theatre Co. production

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.