It has been well documented that Shortland Street's beginnings were not what you could call successful. After a strong debut in May 1992, things quickly started to slump, and it took another year before it had become the 7pm TV staple Kiwis know and love.
Yet, nearly three decades on, a dozen serial killers and one exploding bach later, the soap is an intrinsic part of our country's cultural DNA. In the latest sign of its never-ending success, those rough early months have been lovingly recreated in true Broadway, show-stopping fashion.
Yes, Shortland Street: The Musical is here and it's easily the most enjoyable thing an Auckland company has staged this year.
The show's success is huge enough that anyone could slap the name of that cursed hospital on a marquee and people would turn up regardless of quality. Thankfully, the book by Guy Langford (who double bills as the composer, lyricist and Dr Chris "love" Warner himself) and director and former "Shorty" producer Simon Bennett, is a real gem.
It is both playful parody and affectionate tribute, mixing the sincere and the silly in equal measure to make something truly magical. The show revolves around Warner's rivalry with Hone Ropata, a fantastically fluid performance by Justin Rogers, while Warner's father, Sir Bruce, schemes to make the hospital into a private clinic.
