Hedwig And The Angry Inch comes with heaps of pedigree. Originating as an off-Broadway hit in 1998, it became a cult classic film in 2001 and earned a Tony for Best Revival on Broadway in 2014. Yet the show feels box-fresh, as its titular star Seann Miley Moore confirms over the phone from Sydney after the first day of rehearsals. ‘It’s a show about queer spirit, liberation and becoming your true, fabulous authentic self. It’s always been about community; about the people who make you who you are.’ 

It’s also about the power of rock’n’ roll (Time Out called it the best rock musical ever) with influences like David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed front and centre in Stephen Trask’s music. For Moore, it’s the idea of standing up in front of a live rock band and presenting Hedwig’s story that thrills. ‘It’s about finding that joy through music that helps you keep going,’ he says. The world’s a dark place: maybe this salute to queer joy, queer chaos and queer celebration is exactly the ray of light everyone needs. And we really do mean everyone: as Hedwig says, ‘the wig fits all heads.’ 

Hedwig And The Angry Inch, The Queen’s Theatre, 26 February–15 March, times vary; main picture: Ryan Cara.