Review: The Creative And Clever Annual Political Satire Returns With THE WHARF REVUE: CAN OF WORMS

Thursday 25th November 2021, 8pm, York Theatre, Seymour Centre

Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott have created a new edition of fan favorite political satire, THE WHARF REVUE: CAN OF WORMS. Following 21 years of being presented as part of the Sydney Theatre Company's annual line up, the 2021 season represents the first time this theatre institution has been presented by independent producer Jo Dyer (Soft Tread Enterprises).

While this year's work will not grace the stage that gave the show its name, THE WHARF REVUE: CAN OF WORMS retains much of what makes the work so special. As with many of the previous years of THE WHARF REVUE, co-creators/writers/directors and performers Biggins, Forsythe and Scott have joined with performer Mandy Bishop to present a wonderful array of sketches, songs and pre-recorded screen moments that revisit the political highlights/lowlights, both locally and internationally, from the past year set to recognizable musical theatre and popular culture music and references. This new work, delivered with what the opening number claims is a smaller budget, no longer backed by the large support services of The Sydney Theatre Company, feels fresher and more confident.

The thrust stage of the York Theatre allows for a similar experience to the earlier productions at The Wharf while the performance space has been confined to a smaller space, ensuring that the performance remains tighter and therefore more connected. A curtained screen forms a backdrop to the stage which features a grand piano, necessary for musical director Phillip Scott's live performances, and additional props are kept simple, engaging the audiences' imagination, and ensuring that concepts are clear enough without excessive set elements that started to feature in some of the later years with Sydney Theatre Company, particularly when the production moved into the larger Roslyn Packer Theatre due to renovations at The Wharf. With the core trio of creatives returning the trademark wit remains and the characterizations feel even better than before. Vocals feel cleaner this year, whether it be a result of better choices of the songs that have been reworked or a result of the different space and David Bergman's sound design is unclear but nonetheless appreciated. The balance of pre-recorded segments and live performance feels better as screen time is really only used to allow costume changes rather than prolonged film after film. Whether you've been following The Wharf Revue team for years or getting your first taste of the clever political satire, THE WHARF REVUE: CAN OF WORMS is a brilliant 90 minutes of theatre that covers all things from Australia's immigration policy to recent political investigations, the rising cost of home ownership and international events.

The Wharf Revue: Can of Worms - Seymour Centre

Photos: Vishal Pandey