Blazey Best, Lisa Campbell and Hayden Tee tell us why the 1988 Australian musical still has much to say today.

Ever since the Hayes Theatre Co burst onto the scene in February 2014 with an award-winning production of Sweet Charity, the little-venue-that-could has proved to be an invaluable addition to the musical theatre scene in Sydney.

As part of its remit, the consortium of producers running it were keen to revisit the occasional Australian musical that had enjoyed great success when first performed but which had been rarely seen since. In November 2014, Luckiest Productions – the company run by David and Lisa Campbell, which is one of the driving forces behind the Hayes – produced Miracle City by Max Lambert (music) and Nick Enright (book and lyrics). The second coming of the show – which tells the dark story of a US televangelist and his family – was a sell-out hit, with Blazey Best winning a Sydney Theatre Award for her portrayal of the preacher’s wife.

The cast of Only Heaven Knows at the Hayes Theatre Co. Photograph © Johnny Diaz Nicolaidis

Now comes Only Heaven Knows, with music, book...