Actor Craig McLachlan is preparing to return to the stage with a new cabaret show in Melbourne, after a previous comeback attempt was abandoned.
Schadenfreude will open at Spiegel Haus on October 28, combining music, circus, magic, burlesque, puppetry and comedy. A Sydney season is also being considered.
McLachlan will perform as Dr Schadenfreude, described as a “psychologist, eccentric and provocateur”. The show’s promotional material says the character believes “there is something wonderfully entertaining about watching somebody else’s perfectly ordered world fall apart”.
The production is intended for audiences aged 18 and over and promises original music, unusual versions of familiar songs and what organisers describe as “gloriously twisted” comedy.
McLachlan, known for roles in Neighbours and The Doctor Blake Mysteries, will be joined by Kristian Lavercombe, who played Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show for 2,600 performances. Stellar Perry, a 2020 grand finalist on The Voice Australia, and Brendan Irving are also part of the cast.
Music supervision is being provided by Vanessa Scammell, McLachlan’s partner.
The planned return comes after McLachlan was cast in a production of Cluedo last year before withdrawing from the role. He also appeared on Seven’s SAS Australia in 2023 but left the survival reality programme before the final episode.
McLachlan’s career was disrupted by allegations concerning his conduct during a 2014 production of The Rocky Horror Show. In 2018, reports alleged that he had indecently assaulted and sexually harassed female performers, claims he denied.
He launched defamation proceedings against the publisher of those reports, the ABC and performer Christie Whelan Browne. McLachlan was acquitted in 2020 in the criminal case involving allegations made by four women, while his defamation action was abandoned in 2022 and he was ordered to pay legal costs.
Whelan Browne later settled a separate case against production company GFO in 2024. She had sought compensation for lost earnings and damages.
