Written and created
by Jonathan Biggins and Drew Forsythe
Musical Director:
Andrew Worboys
Sydney Theatre
Company
The Playhouse,
Canberra Theatre Centre to November 3
Reviewed by Len Power
23 October 2018
You can’t help but compare each year’s ‘The Wharf Revue’
with the previous years’ shows. This
year’s show was one of the best due to its consistently clever script, great
singing and hilarious, finely-judged performances. It’s a pity that Drew Forsythe was not
available to perform but his presence was still felt in the scripts.
Much of the music was well-known theatre tunes with nifty new
lyrics for the occasion. The cast are
all good singers so they handled these with ease, making sure the lyrics could
be clearly heard.
After being warned about ‘audience bullying’ in his opening
remarks, Jonathan Biggins made way for a ‘Cinderella’ pantomime in which
Rachael Beck was principal boy, Malcolm, singing ‘Poor Little Me’ and Douglas
Hansell was a spot-on Prince Charmless (Peter Dutton, who else?) Jonathan Biggins and Andrew Worboys were the Dames
and Simon Burke was the Fairy Godmother (Christopher Pyne, of course).
 |
| Rachael Beck and Douglas Hansell |
The rest of the show was in the usual revue format. Rachael Beck gave us a brilliant Gladys
Berejiklian, singing ‘I’ll Build A Light Rail To Kensington’ and Douglas
Hansell was hysterical as Barnaby Joyce with ‘My Aussie Roots Are Haunting Me
Today’. Jonathan Biggins was a standout
with his Paul Keating presentation. In
both character and writing this was a tour-de-force. His Donald Trump was, as always merciless and
Simon Burke was a great Vladimir Putin as well as the Queen.
 |
| Jonathan Biggins |
Amongst the many politicians who were given the treatment, Michaelia
Cash and Sarah Hanson-Young were memorable and, from overseas, Silvio
Berlusconi, Vladimir Putin, Stormy Daniels and Melania Trump got a serve, too.
Andrew Worboys’ musical direction and accompaniment was
masterful and designer, Charles Davis, gave us a clever traditional pantomime set
that was easily changed for the revue sketches.
Technicals including light, sound, costumes and wigs were all excellent.
This was a bright, fast-paced show with clever scripting, larrikin
Australian humour and great performances.
It definitely is one of the best.
Photos by Brett Boardman
Len Power's reviews are also broadcast on his 'On Stage' performing arts radio program on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3.30pm on Artsound FM 92.7.
