Reilly has strong credentials writing original characters and comedy having worked with her sister, Eliza Reilly, to create the ABC TV series Growing Up Gracefully, Yarramadoon: The Musical at Belvoir St Theatre, and the web series Sheilas.

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Awarded the 2019 Australian Theatre for Young People’s Rebel Wilson Comedy Commission to create The Deb, she believes support for comedy writing is generally wanting.

“It’s particularly hard in Sydney at the moment,” Reilly says. “There aren’t as many comedy venues and networks are reluctant to take risks on comedies because scripted comedy takes time and money to develop.

“A lot of people have been given opportunities but not enough support or a timeframe to achieve something that might be able to compete with overseas work.

“Australians also have a massive cultural cringe aspect where we’re reluctant to watch each other’s stuff. And, when we do, we’re very hard on one another because we’ve got tall poppy syndrome. We’ve grown risk-averse. I’m not sure why because, as Australians, we value comedy so highly as a culture.”

The Deb is the first production at the Theatre for Young People’s new Rebel Theatre, named after actor, producer, ambassador and alumna Rebel Wilson who donated $1 million towards the new 196-seat venue.

The musical is also in development as a feature film with Wilson’s company Camp Sugar Productions.

Megan Washington, who collaborated with Reilly over the phone during lockdown to create The Deb’s songs, says writing for a musical was a joy.

“I’ve written for theatre, and for music theatre and cabaret performers, but I’d never written a whole musical,” she says. “It was an absolute gift because writing and composing music that I don’t have to sing is a whole different ball game, an absolute hoot. I’d almost be in character while writing which was pretty funny for my husband.”

The Deb’s diverse music, which includes guitar ballads, hip-hop, country, pop and old-fashioned show tunes, is performed by 19 cast members including emerging actor Katelin Koprivec as Taylah and seasoned performers Tara Morice and Jay Laga’aia.

Reilly’s hope is The Deb is a joyful show helping people reset after recent times.

“That’s what musicals do best,” she says. “They take you away into a beautiful, sparkly fantasy world for a while. I’m proud that such an Australian musical can hopefully do that.”

The Deb runs at Australian Theatre for Young People’s Rebel Theatre from April 22 to May 22

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