The words “beep test” could trigger a flood of memories for most Aussies. From squeaky shoes on a gym floor or the belting sun on hot asphalt, the yearly physical education rite of passage might be a repressive traumatic event or a nostalgic sense of pride and achievement. Now, you can relive all the highs and lows in musical form with Theatre Works’ The Beep Test, A Comedy Musical.
The Beep Test found its humble beginnings as an entry into a university competition back in 2019, originally a 10-minute piece. Over its varied iterations over the following years, the show has been lengthened, with added depth and storytelling, and a variety of fresh cast members.
Creative team Neylon & Peele, consisting of Music Supervisor/music and lyrics, Conor Neylon, and Director/Book and Lyrics, Jackson Peele, have created something special and fun in this show, with its current version that’s more full of life than ever.
The lyrics in the opening song give great insight into the light-hearted nature of the musical, “Beep, beep, beep… that’s the sound of our future”.
This 2025 production has great energy from a strong cast. The story takes place over the course of one high school Year 7 class that’s completing their beep test, with a show length of an hour, or how long the actual beep test used to feel for me at that age.
The PE teacher, referred to as ‘Sir’, is played by Lachie Hewson who perfectly captures a mix of intimidation and favourable biasness towards varied students. His flair for the dramatic adds extra laughs into each scene, plus Hewson’s special appearance as a renowned football star also was a hit with the audience.
The cast of four students includes Sandra (Charlyi Jaz), a bold, A+, successful student in every area of school except the dreaded beep test; push-around Cooper (Sebastian Li), struggling to stand on his own two feet and find his confidence, budding sports star Zach (Axel Duffy) that’s lacking his father’s support and approval, but is ready to outdo the rest of the class in the area he excels in, and Jane (Sara Reed), training hard every day to finally give Zach a run for his money.
The entire cast perform with great levels of energy throughout. Even a stage jog, the constant refrain that the cast returned to after each dance number, seemed an exhausting feat. There was rarely a moment the whole cast weren’t moving in some fashion.
The activity of completing a beep test might seem like a strange place to find a musical story, but The Beep Test gives us all the dramatics that come with growing up. Everything at the time may seem like life or death. Dropping out of the beep test a level earlier than you normally would because of a crush, is the equivalent of sacrificing your life in a battleground.
The lighting and choreography are to be applauded as well. Lighting designer Tom Vulcan smartly helped transition into character monologues and dream-like dance sequences, playing on the clichés of many typical teen and sports films and TV shows.
Anyone who has done the beep test in their primary or high school years will be instantly transported back to this time with this musical. Warning: Could cause flashbacks to senses of achievement, embarrassment and loss of breath. At the same time, more memories of how friendships, aspirations and crushes at this age play out, will be brought back. Even at moments, some deeper commentary will be reflective on the nature of change, on whether we will always be who we were, or whether we will have the capability to move on with our lives.
This multi-stage fitness test is… or rather, this hilarious hour of comedy and music, is wholesome and amusing. The Beep Test is like a whole show set within Zac Efron’s Troy Bolton ‘Get’cha Head in the Game’ sequence from High School Musical.
Proudly presented by Theatre Works and Neylon & Peel, for a heartfelt laugh, make sure to catch The Beep Test at Theatre Works in Melbourne before it closes on May 10.
https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2025/the-beep-test
Photography by Isabella ‘Iz’ Zettl.
