Great scott! Back to the Future: The Musical, award-winning show based on the beloved film, will make its Australian debut at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in September 2025. Since its global debut in March 2020, the musical has captivated nearly 3 million spectators worldwide, while also picking up the Oliver Award in 2022 for Best New Musical — and soon, Sydneysiders will have the chance to travel through time with Marty McFly and Doc Brown.
Back to the Future: The Musical
The musical is based on the first film, which, for those unfamiliar, sees rebellious teenager Marty McFly transported back to 1955 in a time-travelling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown. But before he can return to the present day (that’d be 1985), Marty must ensure his high school-aged parents fall in love again in order to guarantee his own existence.
There’s some serious cred behind this production that elevates it from a tribute show to a bona fide re-imagining. The book is by Bob Gale — who co-wrote and co-produced the original film trilogy — while new music and lyrics have been composed by Alan Silvestri — who scored the Back to the Future film series — and Glen Ballard, who won one of his six Grammy Awards with Silvestri for their work on The Polar Express. The upcoming production promises to bring the time-traveling adventures of the unlikely duo to life in spectacular fashion, through classic songs from the original film like ‘The Power of Love’ and ‘Johnny B. Goode’, alongside brand-new numbers composed specifically for stage.
Directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, the has also seen a team of award-winning set, costume, lighting, and sound designers bring the fictional town of Hill Valley to life.
The musical lands on Australian shores exactly 40 years after the release of the movie that started it all, and is part of a global celebration of the much-loved film series that will see the musical open across four major markets, including an eight-year deal with Royal Caribbean to play the musical in its full physical form on Star of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship.
The waitlist for tickets is now open — you can sign up via this link.
Images: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman