'Funny and dark': American Psycho, The Musical slashes into Wollongong

The musical will open at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre on Thursday, May 22, for three nights.

Based on the book and Christian Bale-led film of the same name, the musical was first performed in London in 2013.

There, former Doctor Who star Matt Smith took the lead role of Patrick Bateman.

Stepping into the shoes of Bateman here in Wollongong is Alex Perritt who says the role has been a physical challenge to prepare for.

"Pretty much in the lead-up to the audition I got a gym membership and have been going every day since," Perritt said.

"In anticipation for not just the look of the character but also the be fit enough to do a show at this impact."

The role of Bateman only leaves the stage three times in the nearly two-and-a-half-hour show to change costumes before going back on.

Songs from the '80s are incorporated into the musical including Hip to be Square by Huey Lewis and the News and In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins, which Perritt says is a highlight of the show.

"The way that song sounds on stage with all of the female cast members singing, it is incredible, it's just amazing," he said.

Wollongong-based Jarrod Riesinger, from theatre company Rising Arts Production, is the director of the musical and worked tirelessly trying to bring the show to Australia.

"So I sort of spent a few months making some phone calls and spending long nights talking to people in the UK, trying to get it across the line," Riesinger said.

"We managed to become the first amateur company in Australia to bring it to the stage."

The show is "dark" and "challenging" says Risesinger but also "funny".

"We're trying to really parody those sort of I guess alpha male commercialism-obsessed people.

"You know really poking fun at them and sort of shining a light on that these kinds of people do exist and can get away with almost anything which is a, you know, a little crazy."