PREVIEW: BONNIE & CLYDE - THE MUSICAL - EXPLORING LOVERS AND LEGENDS WITH DIRECTOR MALAKAI FOX

Jan 17

Playful Fox Productions are a travelling community theatre company serving Brantford/Brant County and South Western Ontario. Their seasons always boast an impressive amount of theatrical endeavours from stage plays to musicals and, as a travelling company suggests, are only in various cities for a limited run. Such is the case with Bonnie & Clyde - The Musical which made its Broadway debut in 2011 and is coming to Hamilton, Ontario stages for the first time.

At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town nobodies in West Texas to America's most renowned folk heroes. Fearless and thrilling, the Tony-nominated Bonnie & Clyde - The Musical is a compelling story of love, adventure and crime that captured the attention of an entire country. Bonnie & Clyde - The Musical combines gospel, rockabilly, and blues music to produce an innovative score that complements the action-filled plot.

I had the pleasure of a virtual interview with director Malakai Fox and together, we discussed the decision making process for including this cult-favourite into their 2025-26 season, the themes of the musical and its fascinating and infamous history that continues to speak to audiences today.

What went into the decision making process to include Bonnie & Clyde into Playful Fox Production’s season?

MF: Following a very successful fall/Christmas season staging some beautiful family shows, we wanted something different to sort of clear the pallet. While we adore staging family friendly shows, we wanted to take a chance on a hidden gem - perhaps something that casual theatre fans had not seen or heard yet. High on our list of shows that are lesser known are pretty much anything involving Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, Scarlet Pimpernel, Dracula). What made us settle on Bonnie & Clyde - The Musical was the very sound that makes up the heart of the musical as it is so unique and unlike anything else Playful Fox has done in its history. From the moment we heard the soundtrack, we were hooked on the show.

What is your favourite thing about musicals based on true events?

MF: To me, the greatest thing about historical dramas (musical, play or otherwise) is the challenge to keep the story true while also making it relevant to today’s audience. Values and ideals have changed over the years to such an extent that a character’s actions and/or motivations may not be viewed the same as it was when the show first was written and performed. The joy from that truth allows us to rethink characters, plots, and ideas and how to make them relatable so that the timeless part of the message is still seen and enjoyed.

What have been some highlights and challenges staging this production?

MF: A big highlight for me was handling the show's insane roller coaster flow. While other shows we have done build up to certain emotions, Bonnie & Clyde- The Musical just goes completely off the proverbial rails at times at the drop of hat. You’ll be laughing one moment, then in a second, something happens and you’re terrified for our central characters... only to realize that it’s leading to a heartfelt moment of soulful learning and discovery. This musical takes the regular ebb and flow of a standard Broadway musical and proceeds to throw it out the window.

Another fun challenge has been to explore just how far folk tales and the colouring of history plays into our stories. Despite the historical context, Bonnie and Clyde are often portrayed far more heroically than they may have actually been, and it was a real challenge to keep these two grounded yet still relatable without going too far into that almost unrealistic ‘HEROES’ aura. Clyde Barrow is not a standard Broadway hero type. There are aspects of him that are not the best. Bonnie Parker is not simply the wishful princess looking for adventure or excitement out there. She is a complicated and fiercely strong woman by the time the story comes to an end; dedicated and accepting of a fate that she knows she cannot avoid.

How has the company explored the show's themes of love, rebellion, poverty and, decades later, mysticism of these two antiheroes?

MF: We actually incorporate these themes with the way we set the show. Instead of trying to draw our Canadian audience in with a gritty start, we have actually staged our prologue in such a way that is meant to create a sort of disconnect. This was done deliberately so that the idea of several people robbing banks and killing cops who try to arrest them (or worse) is less jarring. This sort of disconnect allows us to show those very ideas while also offering a story that is, above all things, timeless in scope. With the way the world is, it is very easy for the audience to see the story of Bonnie and Clyde and relate to the everyday struggles that their world was facing.

For those unfamiliar with Bonnie & Clyde - The Musical, how does this type of musical speak to audiences and what do you hope audiences take away from seeing this production?

MF: By creating a window set almost 100 years ago, the audience will find far more in common and relatable to our characters and setting than perhaps they are aware when they first walk in. Bonnie’s desire to be more than she is, Clyde’s yearning to have the world forever remember him, Buck’s wish to have it all, and Blanche’s dream for ‘just an ordinary life’ are all things that people can relate to.

But as the world tells us over and over that our dreams can’t come true, these characters each deal with the harsh reality that will excite our audience through rebellion, assuage their own self doubt through tenderness and love songs, shock through exciting battles, and ultimately, we hope, make them want to talk about the very nature of right and wrong. I think deep down, we want the audience to want to have that conversation with a complicated and thought-provoking question: Were they right?

Thank you, Malakai, for contributing such thoughtful insights regarding your experience directing Bonnie and Clyde - The Musical. Join Playful Fox Productions for their exciting limited run at Hamilton’s The Zoetic on Concession Street January 30-February 1.

BONNIE & CLYDE TICKETS