CHESTER — In 1932 the Australian government took military action to address the growing emu population in western provinces to very mixed results. Sounds like a great plot for a musical comedy, right? The Great Emu War, which just concluded a run at Goodspeed’s Terris Theatre, proved that is indeed the case.

On paper a lot of musicals sound like insane ideas — think Hamlet but with Safari animals, or turning a 1950s horror movie about a man-eating plant into a musical. Emu War is no different. Inspired by those true events, creators Cal Silberstein and Paul Hodge have put together a laugh out loud, absurdly funny new musical.

A somewhat finished, staged reading version of The Great Emu War was featured in 2023 in Goodspeed’s Festival of New Musicals. It was a hit, and two years later a full production has found a home on the Terris stage.

The show tells the tale of a group of Australian farmers who are losing their crops rapidly to the aforementioned flightless birds. In order to protect their crops, they call in the military. As is referenced in the show, history is told by the victors. In this case those victors are the emus.

The show employs six actors who double and sometimes triple as various people and animals.

Director and Choreographer Amy Anders Corcoran did a beautiful job using what little stage set and props there were to create the vast expanses of western Australia. Throw in some witty dialogue, clever costume changes, and some big dance numbers and you have yourself a big fat hit.

From the first moments of the show, when LaRaisha DiEvelyn Dionne took the stage as The Bush Bard (our narrator), the audience knows they’re in for a treat. Filled with puns and other one-liners, Dionne commanded the stage and had the audience in the palm of her hand (wing?).

Leading the charge was Claire Saunders as Edith, an emu with a dream. She just wants to fly solo and migrate like all the other birds. She soon encounters an overzealous military general and eventually finds her flock.

Saunders is an absolute joy to watch on stage, with a powerhouse voice.

As Edith’s concerned father, Jeremy Davis brought humor and heart to the role of Enoch. The performance by Davis and Saunders of “Fly Solo” was a highlight of the evening. For such a silly musical, Hodge has composed beautiful and very memorable music.

Taylor Matthew took on the role of the villain in the story, Major Meredith. His over-the-top John Cleese-meets-Rhys Darby-like Major was so much fun that at times the audience was rooting for the bad guy.

Morgan Cowling took on multiple roles, including McMurry, the major’s assistant; a townie who definitely can read; and a very pivotal magpie. The audience looked forward to every time Cowling took the stage as there were always guaranteed laughs in each character she played.

Last, but by far not least, was Ethan Peterson, who played Edith’s love interest Ethan, among others. Peterson’s physical comedy skills shone in the role. “Boom,” his duet with Edith, was an audience favorite.

This show played its final performance on Sunday, October 26. One hopes it will get a much longer life that it deserves somewhere else. When it does, do yourself a favor and grab a ticket. You’ll be happy you did.