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| Michael Paynter performing in the Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse. |
Canberra Theatre Playhouse - May 8th, 2026 – Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS
Watching Michael Paynter’s break-out performance as Jesus in
the latest iteration of Jesus Christ Superstar, it was obvious that he
was a stunningly charismatic artist, who was not only an exceptional vocalist,
but one with an extraordinary ability to draw his audience into the story being
told by the lyrics of the songs.
Therefore, the announcement came as no surprise that he had
been chosen to portray John Farnham in Whispering Jack – The John Farnham Musical,
being developed under the direction of Mitchell Butel. Despite never having seen Farnham’s portrayal
of the same role in the 1992 production of Jesus Christ Superstar, a
copy of the CD preserving Farnham’s performance is proof of how phenomenal he
was in the role.
By now aware of Paynter’s background as a multiple ARIA
Award and Golden Globe Award winning songwriter and producer, the musical
director for The Veronicas and a full-time member of both Icehouse and the
Jimmy Barnes’ touring bands who divides
his time between Australia and Nashville, the news that he was bringing his
Great Australian Songbook show to Canberra, made it a ‘must-see’ for me, as I
was curious to hear his approach to repertoire beyond Superstar.
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| Michael Paynter in the Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse |
However, it seems I came late to the party because by the
time his Canberra concert came around, what had originally been announced as a
seven concert tour had already burgeoned into a 27 concert tour, most of which
have been sold-out, as the ladies sitting beside me who had travelled to
Canberra from the Southern Highlands
specially for this sold-out concert, were happy to attest.
Well, What about the concert? On when entering the theatre,
the first thing noticed was that the stage was pre-set with a grand piano, a
couple of microphones, and a suite of three guitars. Nothing unusual about that
because most solo artists travel with a supporting band.
However, for Paynter, there was no supporting band. His
performance commenced dramatically in darkness. To the sound of an extended one-note
drone, Paynter, slowly revealed standing in an overhead spotlight, sang a
section of Bruce Woodley’s “I Am Australian”, following which he moved across
to the piano to perform a goose-bump-inducing rendition of Jimmy Barnes’ “Working
Class Man”.
After paying tribute to Jimmy Barnes and immediately
connecting with his Canberra audience by acknowledging his bemusement at the
number of roadworkers encountered enroute to the theatre, he explained that he
was not performing The Great Australian Songbook but his Great
Australian Songbook. And what a selection it turned out to be.
Commencing with Hunter/Piggot’s “The Age of Reason”, Paynter
had threaded through his program several songs either by John Farnham or
associated with Farnham. Among them, “Whispering Jack”, “Burn For You”, “Playing
to Win” and Graeme Goble’s “Please Don’t Ask Me”.
The defining timbre of Farnham’s voice was unmistakably present
in all these renditions. But Paynter’s versions were not copies of Farnham’s.
Paynter’s versions are carefully crafted to highlight his clear,
stratospheric range and warm lower register. He accompanied himself for every
song, either on piano, or on one of the three on-stage guitars, occasionally
enhanced by some discrete, self-manipulated technology, mastered over years performing
as a jobbing musician.
Paynter also has a gift for communication, able to make each
member of his audience feel that he is talking directly to them. Between songs
he shared his admiration and enthusiasm for the skill of the lyricist, remarking
at one point that he has no interest in songs without meaningful lyrics.
Remarking that lyrics are often smothered by production, he
demonstrated with spectacular, stripped-back renditions of songs as varying as
“Crazy” by Iva Davies, “Chandelier” by Sia, “Amazing” by Alex Lloyd and
Wolfmother’s “The Joker and the Thief”.
He told of being asked to choose a song to sing for the
induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame of producer, Mike Chapman. His choice
was “A Fine Line Between Pleasure and Pain” which Chapman had produced for The Divinyls.
He then sang a moving stripped back version, so extraordinary that the effect was
as if listening to the song for the first time.
For each of his concerts Paynter invites a guest to join him
for a duet. On this occasion his choice was sixteen-year- old singer/songwriter,
Ruby Rogers. The audience had met Ruby earlier in the evening when she performed
a thirty-minute set accompanied on guitar by her father, Ben Rogers.
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| Ben Rogers and Ruby Rogers performing in the Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse |
It is fortunate that Ruby is so talented, because her initial appearance, spectacularly dressed down in trackydaks and sneakers, gave the impression that she had not placed much importance on this opportunity. Her giggly, rambling introductions, and lack of stagecraft, did not allay this impression.
However, her voice was pretty and her original songs
especially “Sixteen” and “Father’s Daughter” are very good. It was a shame that
poor sound balance between guitar and voice meant that many of her excellent
lyrics were lost, and disappointing that she hadn’t bothered to learn her duet
with Paynter, Missy Higgin’s “The Special Two”, choosing instead to read her
lyrics off her phone.
It was only at the end of their duet that Paynter revealed
that Ruby is the granddaughter of Jimmy Barnes.
Despite her obvious talent one hopes Ruby will have taken the opportunity to study Paynter’s polished professionalism and stagecraft, again on show in every note of Paynter’s final offering for the evening, Don Walker’s Flame Trees.
Photos of Michael Paynter performing in the Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse supplied.
Photo of Ben Rogers and Ruby Rogers in the Canberra Theatre Playhouse by Trudy Thornton.
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au
