SEXERCISE - THE MUSICAL to Play Alex Theatre in 2015

New musical comedy Sexercise - The Musical makes its world premiere at Melbourne's newest live performance venue on 24 February 2015.

Written and produced in Melbourne, Sexercise - The Musical is the first performance to be staged in the new Alex Theatre, one of three theatres to be built in the former George Cinema complex in Fitzroy St, St Kilda.

It is fitting Sexercise - The Musical is to be the Alex Theatre's first show: Aleksander Vass wrote a popular cartoon book on the subject several years ago. Producer Malcolm Cooke was inspired by the title, and he commissioned writer and composer Derek Rowe to create a new musical creating a story and characters based on the subject.

"I invited Alex to co-produce Sexercise - The Musical with me and he not only agreed but built a new theatre in which to properly launch it," Malcolm Cooke said. "Alex recognised the need for smaller theatres to create and launch original new works for the commercial theatre, and thanks to him Melbourne will now have the perfect 'Off Broadway' theatre complex in The Alex."

Rowe has written the book, music and lyrics to Sexercise - The Musical, a fun and playful show that explores a couple's journey to repair their relationship.

The show features Nicole Melloy as Sam, Lyall Brooks as Joe, Lulu McClatchy as Tania, Fem Belling as Rhonda, Cameron MacDonald as Andy and Kristin Holland as Shane.

THE STORY is placed in the fast-paced world of married professional mid-30s couple Joe (Lyall Brooks) and Sam (Nicole Melloy). There's no place for seduction amid the juggling of school runs, work schedules and their personal exercise regimes.

Like so many things that are stretched to a breaking point, Joe and Sam are failing to deliver to each other what they used to give away so freely - time, affection, spontaneity and, of course, sex.

Well-meaning friends Tania (Lulu McClatchy), Shane (Kristin Holland) and Andy (Cameron MacDonald) try to help Joe and Sam work through their problems.

At couples' therapy Joe and Sam take a new approach to repairing their relationship when their counsellor, Rhonda (Fem Belling), offers them a self-help book about sexercise.

Why work out as individuals when they can burn kilojoules together to stay fit and find happiness?

Sexercise - The Musical stars internationally profiled Nicole Melloy and Lulu McClatchy. Melloy was most recently seen as Georgie in the well-reviewed Spike Heels at Chapel off Chapel for Q44 Theatre Company, which she also co-produced, and as Ellie May in The Production Company's Show Boat.

Sam's husband is Joe, played by Lyall Brooks whose recent professional theatre credits include The Parricide (La Mama Theatre), Savages (fortyfivedownstairs), Penelope and The Pride (Red Stitch), The Heretic (MTC) and Sunday in the Park with George (Victorian Opera).

Brooks and Lulu McClatchy, as Sam's best friend Tania, team up on stage again in Sexercise - The Musical, having worked together in 2014 to great acclaim in SuperGirly: Return of the Pop Princess and Fat Pig in 2013.

Sexercise - The Musical's stage band is led by musical director Trevor Jones and sets the pace with a lively, rocking score of tunes and the choreography is by Dana Jolly, who most recently worked on The Production Company's Show Boat.

Directed by Sara Grenfell and co-produced by Aleksander Vass and Malcolm Cooke, Sexercise - The Musical is a comedy about finding happiness and getting fit without lycra.

Sexercise - The Musical tackles a topic that has been proven to have many health benefits. Sexercise not only lowers your blood pressure and tones up your muscles, it can strengthen your relationship.

Sexercise is also the latest buzzword in aerobic fitness, with even Kylie Minogue singing about "flexin" to get rid of the "uptight" in her latest video release, Sexercise.

Flashback to the '80s and it was a lusty Olivia Newton-John in a leotard who encouraged us to make our bodies talk and get "Physical".

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