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See You Sunday Inc, the producers behind the Melbourne premiere of American Psycho the Musical, have confirmed that Melbourne performer and writer, Conor Beaumont is set to star as the infamous Patrick Bateman when American Psycho – The Musical arrives at Chapel Off Chapel in September this year.
We had a chat to Conor Beaumont about this exciting new role.
Congratulations on getting the lead role for American Psycho the Musical. We’d love to know more about you as you take your debut role in the lead.
Conor, this is your professional debut. What was your first reaction when you found out you’d been cast as Patrick Bateman?
I was walking through Carlton gardens when I got the call, and I think I yelped out loud. Then I cried. Since then, I’ve just been buzzing — it’s absolutely a dream come true.
You’ve mentioned the political and thematic depth of American Psycho. What themes are you most excited to explore through your performance?
Unfortunately, this show could not be more relevant right now. Right down to the fact that Bateman idolises Donald Trump — which with everything that’s happened since the text was originally written, now even seems a little on the nose!
What’s super interesting to me is how the show explores Bateman’s psyche, without excusing it. He follows a path that many violent men have. He becomes disillusioned with society, and for good reason; but because the systems benefit him, he refuses to work against them. Instead, he manages his disillusionment by acting out, trying to gain some semblance of control over his own life by exerting power over others. It’s very real, and it’s very tragic — and it never works.
Your own musical, Romantics, was released as a concept album. How has your experience as a writer influenced your approach to performing in American Psycho?
It’s always valuable to get to see things from a different perspective! Theatre is such a community thing — it truly takes a village — so gaining a better understanding of how each cog in the machine works is super useful when trying to put it all together. Everyone is multi-talented, and multi-skilled, so we’re all solving problems for each other before they even have a chance to arise. I think writing has given me a particular appreciation for textual analysis, which I find infinitely valuable as an actor. I love words.
Mark Taylor is known for his bold directorial choices. Can you give us a glimpse of how this production will differ from previous versions of American Psycho?
The show is in such safe hands! Anyone who’s familiar with Mark’s previous work (I personally sobbed my way through his productions of Bright Star, Next to Normal AND Parade) will know that he has incredible vision. He’s an expert at gleaming fresh new meaning out of an existing text.
The show critiques capitalism, consumerism, and toxic masculinity. What do you hope modern Melbourne audiences will take away from it?
It’s always been my belief that art only has to change the mind of one person for it to have been worthwhile. I hope Melbourne audiences use it as an opportunity to interrogate their own perspectives, and use it as a springboard into learning more. Educating ourselves, growing, and becoming more empathetic is an active, lifelong process — but we will always be better for it.
How have you prepared mentally and emotionally to take on such a complex, dark character like Bateman?
I’m not going to lie, I think it will be a challenge! At this stage I’m just super thankful for all of the support I have around me. I am blessed with a fantastic support network full of people who really care for me and my wellbeing. Also, I will absolutely be visiting a therapist.
Was there a particular moment in the audition process when you felt, “I’ve got this role”?
It kind of all snuck up on me! Before my final callback, I’d been asked about my availability for shooting promotional material, which in hindsight might have been a pretty good indication. But I don’t think I let myself believe it until it happened.
I will say that it was such a great audition process — I came out of the room feeling fantastic every time, and that’s all due to the warmth and generosity of the creative team.
You’ve talked about the ‘live-ness’ and ‘present-ness’ of theatre. What moments in American Psycho do you think will have the most powerful live impact on the audience?
This might seem odd to say about such a violent show, but I think the quieter moments might have the larger impact.
When you’re performing a violent act on stage, there’s a certain understanding that the audience has; we know the violence is simulated. So while it can still be hugely confronting in the moment, audiences will generally feel pretty comfortable leaving it behind after the show.
But when you’re just saying something really awful to someone, and they’re reacting to that, we get this fascinating kind of “doubling” between actor and character. It isn’t simulated any more — on one level, it’s an actor reading lines to another actor, sure, but it’s also just a person saying a really awful thing to another person. Seeing that play out in real time can be really emotionally affecting, and I find that it always lingers with me.
With American Psycho known for its mix of chilling horror and dark comedy, how do you balance these extremes on stage?
I’m not the first to say horror and comedy are actually super similar stylistically — the way they both operate with this constant battle between tension and release means that they complement each other super well. There is nothing better than when you’re convinced something is about to jumpscare you, and then it subverts your expectations by landing an incredible comedic moment. The reverse also works!
For fans of the book and film, what surprises can they expect from this Melbourne production?
I think they’ll really appreciate how the stage show manages to incorporate and build upon the best elements of both! I think this show is perfect fodder for a musical, even though it might seem a bit out of left field at first; Patrick Bateman’s world is so heightened, so ridiculous, so larger than life, that seeing it in musical form just makes so much sense. The satire just reads so well on-stage; and it’s an absolute gift to perform the iconic 80s hits that Bateman is so (dare I say rightfully) obsessed with.
Darkly funny, unnervingly sexy, and unflinching in its critique, American Psycho – The Musical asks the question: how far can someone go when society is too distracted by gloss to care what’s underneath?
DATES: 4 – 20 September 2025
VENUE: Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran
TICKETS: americanpsycho.com.au/book
Contains adult themes, sexual content, stylised violence and strong language. Recommended for ages 16+.
