The Gospel According to Paul

The Gospel According to Paul, written and performed by Jonathan Biggins and directed by Aarne Neeme, is, as the publicity blurb states, ‘Politics as Performance – The Art of Political Satire’ and it is a truly deliciously wickedly funny and often poignant night in the theatre.

Essentially, it is a history of Australian federal politics from the 1950s to the 2000s as told by Jonathan Biggin’s Paul Keating. It is a terrific trip down memory lane (for those of us who remember) and a wonderful and informative dramatized history lesson for those who don’t.

In a stylish set by Mark Thompson full of Keating’s beloved European artefacts, including clocks and a portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte, the ever-engaging Jonathan Biggin’s Paul Keating takes us from his early family life in Bankstown and through the ups and downs of his political career. This includes the early influence of his father, Mathew Keating, as well as the legendary New South Wales Premier Jack Lang and Gough Whitlam.

The Hawke-Keating years are there with the love-hate relationship between Bob Hawke and Paul Keating fully covered with delightful insight. He does not dwell too much on his own years as Prime Minister, nor does  he dwell too much on his personal life but when he does, such as the death of his father, it is done with poignant silence. These personal moments add particular depth to this often-hilarious piece of political satire. The jokes, wisecracks, and acerbic wit come thick and fast, as well as the famous Keating statements such as ‘the recession we had to have’ and ‘banana republic’. The comments on past and present politicians are brutal but very funny as well as apt. The level of ‘strong language’ is high, which may shock some as they are very ‘un-pc’, but also very true to the wit of Paul Keating.

Jonathan Biggins is absolutely terrific, moving around the stage like a caged tiger, sometimes directly engaging the audience, or dealing with interrupting phone calls, or discussing a political figure whose photo appears on a screen, or singing and dancing a song, or sitting silently absorbed in a personal memory. Despite all the terrific acerbic wit associated with his political career, it is the personal message about the importance of family and love that gives this play and performance a moving depth and poignancy.

Whilst Jonathan Biggins dominates the stage, full credit must be given to his collaborators in this dazzling piece of political satire, including Aarne Neeme (Director), Mark Thompson (Set and Costume), Verity Hampson (Lighting Design) and David Bergman (Sound Design). Every aspect of the production works harmoniously, making this a truly wonderful night in the theatre.

Tony Knight

Photographer: Brett Boardman