Paul Keating was Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the Labor Party from 1991 to 1996, and is a huge figure in Australian politics. The Gospel According to Paul is a one man show about his life written and performed by actor/comedian Jonathan Biggins. Belinda won tickets, so we attended opening night tonight at the Arts Centre Melbourne Playhouse.
Set in a large study, Biggins uses a photo slide show to tell stories about key moments and people throughout Keating's life. The performance got off to a bit of a rough start as the slide carousel wasn't working, but Biggins improvised while the tech crew fixed it. I think to fully appreciate the show you need a strong knowledge of Australian political history and Keating's behavior and personality. For someone not from Australia I didn't know about some of the people and events that were being referenced, which made it a bit hard to follow or understand some of the jokes at points. Biggins does bring some light and shade to his portrayal of Keating and you do learn some things you many not have known about the man.
The Gospel According to Paul runs until 23 May 2021.
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