Jonathan Biggins’ The Gospel According to Paul is a masterclass in biographical theatre. Biggins plays the formidable former Prime Minister Paul Keating and tells the story of Keating’s rise to the pinnacle of Australian politics.
Taking Keating’s inimical style and rendering it so cleverly, faithfully and believably, Biggins ushers the reader into what absolutely feels like an intimate encounter with the real-life Keating in his lair as he takes you on a journey through time to his heyday.
Biggins’ superb acting alone carries the play but his sparkling and provocative script, channelling the protagonist’s characteristic acerbic wit, elevates the performance to another level.
Gospel According to Paul: provocative
There is laugh-out-loud humour at every turn and plenty of unsparing excoriation of personalities past and present. While the play is a political retrospective, it abounds in contemporary commentary and the protagonist’s no-holds-barred approach spares no one, not even himself.
Biggins is certainly excellent at comedy but also so good with pathos. Tender moments pop up unexpectedly and pull at your heartstrings.
Gospel According to Paul: what’s to enjoy
People will enjoy this production for various reasons – if they enjoy learning about political history, if they’re nostalgic about the Hawke-Keating era, if they’re keen on a doyen’s take on contemporary politics and/or if they’re simply looking for intellectually-stimulating and entertaining theatre.
Mark Thompson’s set design – an Edwardian lounge room that oozes vintage charm – encapsulates so much of the grandeur and discipline of the political veteran. The thoughtful composition, texture and tone of the set and apposite use of period props such as the old-fashioned slide projector, accentuate the play’s nostalgic overtones.
Astute sound and video design by David Bergman and lighting design by Verity Hampson complement the gentility of the set. Music is germane to the show and arranged expertly.
This play is a rollicking road trip down memory lane and a triumph of a theatrical biography.
The Gospel According to Paul is a Soft Tread production and a collaboration between Black Swan State Theatre Company and State Theatre Centre of WA. It will be performed until 3 August 2025.
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First staged in New York in 2011, Book of Mormon bewildered audiences initially with its vulgarity – expect plenty of scatological humour, crude jokes about sex and violence and heresy that will offend believers of all creeds and denominations.
So it’s even more of a surprise to find that Book of Mormon holds a tender and sincere narrative of Latter-Day Saint missionaries, Ugandan villagers and warlords and the redemptive power of religion, community, and being nice to one another (even for avowed atheists).
While a little of the novelty has faded, the comedy retains its ability to offend, and the songs are as good as they ever were. This production adds little new for returning audiences, but does what it does exceptionally well.
Led by the principal trio of Elder Price (Sean Johnston), Elder Cunningham (Nick Cox) and Nabalungi (Paris Leveque), the cast ubiquitously excels across demanding vocal and dance roles.
Johnston imbues the ambitious young missionary Price with a humanising naivete and demonstrates impressive weight, control and emotional expression in his singing. Cox takes Cunningham from nebbish to confident with deft physical comedy. Leveque, in her professional debut, has a big voice and a subtle touch in handling the Ugandan villager Nabalungi. Read more…
