WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: American Psycho

After a break last week, I'm back with another musical that will thoroughly horrify you and send chills down the spine, as we delve into the world of Duncan Sheik and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's stage adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 novel, and the subsequent 2000 film, starring Christian Bale, that it later spawned.

Like the novel and the film, the musical is set in New York City, centring around Patrick Bateman, a rich investment banker who is image-obsessed, and his lavish lifestyle of high-end restaurants, designer fashion, and his equally sought after fiancée, is all an elaborate ruse, to hide the fact that he is secretly a serial killer.

"American Psycho" on broadway

The show had its world premiere in December 2013, at the Almeida Theatre in London, in a production starring Matt Smith, Jonathan Bailey, Lucie Jones and Katie Brayben. Following this it transferred to New York, staging a brief workshop before opening at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on broadway, with a cast starring Benjamin Walker and Alice Ripley. Though it was well reviewed in London, it had rather a more lukewarm reception on broadway, and in spite of two Tony nominations, it closed after only two and a half months, and 81 total performances.

This status as a broadway flop hasn't adversely affected the musical's popularity, having been performed all over the world, including in Australia, Japan, and several recent US regional revivals. It is set to return to the Almeida Theatre in the new year, so there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to tick this modern musical thriller off of my list before too long.