§ Theatre.
‘Keating ‘Fights back!’
Company B:
Keating!
Written by Casey Bennetto
Directed by Neil Armfield
Mike McLeish as Paul Keating
York Theatre, Seymour Centre.
Saturday 9th August 2008
How do you make Australian politics saucy and sensational? In America, they’ve had sex scandals in the White House, assassinations and even elected Conan the Barbarian as governor. Could you have ever imagined Alexander Downer engaged in sex acts in Parliament house? Or Paul Hogan as a member of parliament?
Australian politics are fundamentally tedious and lacklustre. Director, Neil Armfield’s musical spectacular ‘Keating!’ is a breakthrough production reviving the characters of the Keating years and placing them in the context of the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’. The results are an audacious and arresting production that captivates and entertains its audience while reminding them of what really has become a forgotten era in Australian politics.
Armfield and writer Casey Benetto satirise the Keating years but with a different take, written and performed entirely in song! The idea sounds as hilarious as the music heard. Undeniably the musical represents politics as an act, with society led by the songs of a Pied Piper, Paul Keating (Mike Mcleish)
The musical elements of the performance are frequently overplayed and parodied. It seems there is only one way for Mcleish to express Keating’s emotional victory; through the style of a Gospel revival meeting! Suddenly the lights in the audience flash red, the back stage curtain rises, oversized letters flash; ‘Keating’. The audience immediately jump to their feet, chanting his name as if Keating is the Messiah of Australian politics!
McLeish energetically portrays Keating as a suave, charming, trendy pollie in a sharp suit. Who would have guessed that the former PM had such a far reaching vocal range and would be singing and dancing to the tune of his own policies!
The musical styles range from Pop, Hip Hop, White Reggae and Mambo (‘the Mabo Mambo’). The band gave an up beat performance, choosing to act, sing and play their instruments in a cohesive combo. The impressive band consists of Alon Ilsar (drums), Eden Ottignon (bass and cello), Enio Pozzebon (keyboards) as Gareth Evans, Guy Strazz (acoustic guitar) and Mick Stuart (electric guitar) as a highly comedic and unexpected Cheryl Kernot.
In a surprising development, the musicians casually abandon their instruments while sitting centre stage, ‘chugging beer’ and watching the farcical styled election results on a projected screen. The outrageously entertaining tally of votes between Labor and Liberal are publicised with animated photos of politicians Bob Hawke, Downer and others singing a ‘be do wop’ song along with the projections!
The hilarity continues! Brian Thompson’s set design and Damien Cooper’s lighting add to the humour and intensity of the performance. Five large mirrored ‘K’s surround the stage, streams of red light bulbs reflect and flicker on both audience and actors. On this political arena, all that matters is Keating.
The size and shape of the Seymour Centre’s York Theatre allow for an unparalleled intimacy between stage act and audience. This empowers the actors to transcend traditional theatre space and interact with the crowd.
When a caricature of John Howard (Terry Serio) and Keating meet and greet the audience, Howard, tongue in cheek, licks his hands before attempting to shake the hands of the audience. If it were any reflection on the demographic, Howard was frequently greeted with ‘boos and hisses’. Keating is humanised with the performance expressing an opinionated view of our current Prime Minister. A former Howard staffer, present on the night, remarked the lefties would have enjoyed the performance!
The opening scene sees Bob Hawke (Terry Serio again) in a jacket covered in Australian flags, holding a can of Fosters and handing out ‘tinnies’ to the band with drunken slurs of song. It seems no politician can escape from this political circus, with Hawke’s notoriety as one of the world’s fastest beer drinkers being brought up for a low blow. Alexander Downer (Casey Benetto) also gets his fair share of criticism, dressed in very “freaky, so freaky!” leather drag and fish net stockings. Jennifer Irwin’s costume design fit perfectly with Armfield’s satirical vision and direction. Downer ventures into the audience, ad-libbing and tantalizingly stroking bald heads and lap dancing. Politicians are presented as pugnacious, inconsistent and lopsided.
What makes ‘Keating!’ successful and enjoyable is that an understanding of Australian politics and the history of the time is not necessary. The audience can admire or laugh at Keating, who the character of Bob Hawke describes as the “Placido Domingo of Australian politics”. The Australian character and the weird and wacky nature of politics are also cherished or chuckled at.
Armfield’s production is faultless and like Keating, sated with a gleeful flair. The real meaning of the performance is not in its representation of Keating but in bringing back issues such as the republic debate and Mabo. The underlying message of the performance does not become concerned with politics but a semi-sentimental vision for the betterment of society. As stated by Keating’s caricature, “but still I dream/of a country rich and clever/with compassion and endeavour/reaching out towards forever.”
A landslide victory to Keating!
Flip
