The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical is a darkly deformed yet skillfully and entertainingly performed work of absurdist historical revisionism very loosely based on penny gaff oddity, Joseph Merrick.

The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical, written by Marc Lucchesi of Vaudeville Smash with Jayan and Sarah Nandagopan, and co-directed by Melbourne's Christopher HF Mitchell and Olivier-award winner Guy Masterson is a show that comes with a disclaimer:Rather than diminishing Joseph Merrick's very real misfortunes - or trivializing the cruelty and indifference of Victorian London - this comic reimagining brings to life the hopefulness and courage of a deeply-misunderstood man.

When assessing the merits of this new work, many essential boxes are ticked. Is it funny? Yes, consistently. Marc Lucchesi steals scenes as five characters, with his Italian parody a show highlight, and Francesca Li Donni and Kanen Breen are devilishly mischievous Yes, Breen's villain is a stiff-upper lipped demon in a top hat as Dr Frederick Treves, a foil for the cherubic leads of Ben Clark as Merrick (whose light white face makeup is the only sign of difference) and Annelise Hall as Nurse Hope; both dazzle, with Clark's high notes another show high water mark.

The question is whether the best way to honour someone's tragic existence is to almost entirely rewrite it. It is a show that, styled after Book of Mormon, is designed to shock, with profanity, blasphemy, gruesome violence and scenes of horror. It works, it appeals and received a standing ovation. People lined the streets to be shocked by the sight of Merrick too, though. Like a freak show, The Marvellous Elephant Man: The Musical Review entertains but questions linger regarding whether it should.