The Wharf Revue: Pride in Prejudice

The indefatigable and incorrigible Wharf Revue people are back: Mandy Bishop, Drew Forsythe, Jonathan Biggins and David Whitney.  These performers are brilliant clowns and mimics.  Actual resemblances to their victims may be slight, but a suit, a wig, a single gesture and we know who’s being eviscerated before a word is spoken.  Drew Forsythe’s Joe Biden is a wildly exaggerated (unfair?) caricature but we sure know straight off who he is.  Likewise, Jonathan Biggins’ King Charles, or his Albo.  And, very even-handed, even David Marr gets a serve.

The standout is perhaps Mandy Bishop, who besides being a great singer, is a very physical performer; she uses her body to great effect: her bump and grind as Susan Ley, explaining why she’s Deputy Leader of the Opposition, is unforgettable, as is her faux shy Princess Dianna, and her rough-as-guts Jackie Lambie as a Play School host.

As usual, the show plunders well-known pop tunes and musicals but the team add their own pointed lyrics.  Their choice of tunes adds another layer to the joke.  Example: using an instantly recognisable tune from Oklahoma, ‘Mr Dutton’ (David Whitney) sings, ‘I’m just the guy who has to say “no…”’  

But there isn’t a lot of Mr Dutton in the show.  Too easy.  Trump gets only one number: Jonathan Biggins gives us him as an escapee from a chain gang.  Instead, the satire on our Labor government – and Albo in particular – is merciless.  Albo, Dreyfus and Marles are depicted as Robin Hood and a couple of Merry Men, hiding out – and dithering -in the forest, mainly to avoid doing anything…  Kevin Rudd (Phil Scott) appears only on a video screen to over-explain and bore us into submission.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for us, the Wharf Revue is never short of targets to skewer, send up, lambaste, and satirise.  Politicians – ours and international - the state of the nation (robodebt) and the state of the world (AUKUS).  Underneath the satire, there burns a righteous anger at the bullshit, timidity, ignorance, arrogance and injustices – and it has been said that the best comedy is driven by anger.  Sure, we might be laughing for 100 minutes, but we’re also thinking, ‘Oh, my god, oh, no, that is so true.’  So… the Wharf crew are not above making us uncomfortable, in making us squirm.  But a spoonful of sugar, etc. 

The one number where the tone becomes sombre – and serious – is a lament by all four performers for the defeat of the ‘Yes’ vote…  But then they are soon back to their usual mode – poking fun, needling (needling us too) and sticking it up ‘em.

Michael Brindley

Photographer: Vishal Pandey