Playwright changes Beaconsfield musical title
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Playwright Dan Ilic (2L) reportedly changed the title out of respect. (Supplied)
The author of a musical-comedy about the 2006 Beaconsfield mine disaster has made changes to the production following public outrage about the title.
Playwright Dan Ilic earlier said he hoped the production's original title - Beaconsfield: A Musical In A-Flat Minor - would gain media attention, but has since re-named the musical Beaconsfield: The Musical.
The Melbourne Fringe Festival performance of the musical has been criticised by miners and the family of Larry Knight, who died in the rockfall.
Ilic reportedly made the changes out of respect.
Earlier, he said he did not intend to treat Knight's death with disrespect, but wanted to highlight the way the media behaved during the rescue of Brant Webb and Todd Russell - who were trapped underground for two weeks.
But Mr Webb says the production is in poor taste.
"I think he's shown a lot of disrespect to Larry's family," he said.
"[I'm] not real pleased with it, and I hope people do boycott his play."
Tasmania's Premier David Bartlett has described the musical as a "publicity stunt'.'
Mr Bartlett says it should be remembered the miner killed in the tragedy, Knight, was a father, son and husband.
"I've made a conscious decision to make no comment and the reason I've done that is because I believe this is all a big publicity stunt for the organisers and it's clear that they want me to make a comment, because that'll give them more publicity and I'm not going to give them the satisfaction," he said.
Joke falls flat
Australian Workers Union's (AWU) national secretary Paul Howes says the Beaconsfield disaster was traumatic and should not be the subject of a comedy show.
"This story is not about the media, it's not about Richard Carlton, it's not about Mel and Kochie and the rest of the stuff that happened," he said.
"This story's about a workplace death and yet again another incident in Tasmania's mining industry. For those of us that were there for the whole time, I think you wouldn't find much support for poking fun at this the way it was."
The Tasmanian Opposition and the West Tamar Council have also labelled the show distasteful.
