Billy Thorpe & Leigh

This charming production opens and closes with Thorpe’s signature song, Most People I Know Think That I’m Crazy, and immediately has your toes tapping. Frank Kerr’s renditions of the iconic tunes are delightful. Thorpe’s distinctive music and voice are difficult to emulate but the show is not concerned so much with the recollection of Thorpe himself as it is with showing the importance of his influence on a generation of aspiring youth.

Leigh (Andrew Doyle) is a devoted fan and his journey from meek country boy to a young confident adult is not without its poignant moments. His story is interspersed with music from Thorpe’s repertoire and the music helps him through his high and low moments. Leigh’s supportive mother, Shirl (Harlene Hercules), provides much of the narrative detail.

Doyle and Kerr’s harmonies pay homage to Thorpe’s great artistry but there is very little of the roguish behaviour and the radical streak that Thorpe was renowned for. He represented the harshness and ruggedness of working class Australian culture and, above all, he took every opportunity to overturn the status quo. The rawness of his style helped shape the image of Australia’s easy-going and uninhibited nature. This show is at its best when it focuses on Thorpe’s music and taps into the rawness of his sound by relying on the acoustic guitar and strong vocal performances.

Patricia Di Risio