Abbott! The Musical gets major re-write days before opening

The creators of satirical comedy Abbott! The Musical were forced into a frantic 36-hour re-write session on Wednesday night after Tony Abbott was ousted as prime minister in favour of Malcolm Turnbull.

With the production opening at the Melbourne Fringe Festival on Monday, the writers were forced to alter the original plot of the play.

Writer and performer Nic Conway told ABC the leadership spill had the team put in long hours to include Malcolm Turnbull's successful challenge.

"As soon as [the vote] happened, it was basically a 36-hour frenzy. We locked ourselves in a room," Mr Conway said.

"(It was) total lockdown. Coffee, a few beers - and just tried to cover every scenario."

He said the strange world of Australian politics had given the writers plenty of inspiration.

"In the show we have a lot of verbatim quotes ... highlighted through the use of a 'quote light'," he said.

"(It lets) people know that the lines in the play, as absurd as they might sound or as politically incorrect... aren't our thoughts."

The original plot of the musical followed the Mr Abbott as he tried to turn around the polls as Australia's prime minister.

The new plot will heavily feature Mr Turnbull and Mr Conway said it will be a riotous send-up of the real-life Abbott-Turnbull soap opera.

"Fact is better than fiction. It can certainly be funnier than fiction," he said.

The creators of satirical comedy Abbott! The Musical were forced into a frantic 36-hour re-write session on Wednesday night after Tony Abbott was ousted as prime minister in favour of Malcolm Turnbull.

With the production opening at the Melbourne Fringe Festival on Monday, the writers were forced to alter the original plot of the play.

Writer and performer Nic Conway told ABC the leadership spill had the team put in long hours to include Malcolm Turnbull's successful challenge.

"As soon as [the vote] happened, it was basically a 36-hour frenzy. We locked ourselves in a room," Mr Conway said.

"(It was) total lockdown. Coffee, a few beers - and just tried to cover every scenario."

He said the strange world of Australian politics had given the writers plenty of inspiration.

"In the show we have a lot of verbatim quotes ... highlighted through the use of a 'quote light'," he said.

"(It lets) people know that the lines in the play, as absurd as they might sound or as politically incorrect... aren't our thoughts."

The original plot of the musical followed the Mr Abbott as he tried to turn around the polls as Australia's prime minister.

The new plot will heavily feature Mr Turnbull and Mr Conway said it will be a riotous send-up of the real-life Abbott-Turnbull soap opera.

"Fact is better than fiction. It can certainly be funnier than fiction," he said.