REVIEW: AMPLIFIED THE EXQUISITE ROCK AND RAGE OF CHRISSY AMPHLETT Is Sheridan Harbridge’s Latest Cabaret Celebration A Strong Woman.

Saturday 31st January 2026, 7:30pm, Belvoir St Theatre

AMPLIFIED THE EXQUISITE ROCK AND RAGE OF Chrissy Amphlett is an 80 minute dive into life of the Divinyls frontwoman that broke through the stereotype of women in music with her rebellious rock’n’roll volatility.  Acclaimed performer and writer Sheridan Harbridge brings her boundless talents to telling Chrissy’s story with heart, humour and a brilliant rock voice, further proving her versatility. 

The 80 minute work, created in response to Amphlett’s husband Charley Drayton wanting to celebrate the singer songwriter, is directed by Sarah Goodes, who co-created the work with Harbridge and musical director Glenn Moorhouse.  While Harbridge states that she isn’t trying to be Amphlett, her costume (Michael Hankin) and her performance pay deep homage to the late singer.  Hankin’s set of an intimate performance helps transport the audience into the hazy world of pub gigs where the Amphlett and the Divinyls turned on and terrified a growing fanbase. 

Taking inspiration from an idea that Amphlett had been working on with longtime friend Simon Morley, Harbridge explores the influences on Amphlett’s music and life through the idea of a crow flying through space and time to take the audience back to a 5 year old child living with a degree of fear from her father who suffered PTSD, adolescent being teased for her looks and young adult seeking love and validation in the wrong places.  As always, Harbridge dives into the history and storytelling with a brilliant humour and self-deprecating style that makes people want to hang off her every word and note.  She brings a depth of understanding to her performance and her expression of why she’s interested in the story she’s telling so that her cabarets are more than recreating a catalogue of a performer’s music or a history lesson.  There is an excitement and admiration of the rebellious icon that can’t help but be infectious so that no matter how familiar the audience may be with Chrissy Amphlett, they want to know more.

With the support of Moorehouse on guitar, Clarabell Limonta on keys, Ben Cripps on bass and Dave Hatch on percussion, Harbridge delivers strong performances of well known Divinyls songs as well as potentially more obscure pieces.  She utilises the stage and even includes the signature neon tube.  Given that Harbridge keeps reminding the audience that the work is a cabaret, a genre that was used as an insult against the Divinyls in their heyday, there is also a degree of ‘audience participation’ and even those towards the back of the theatre are not safe when Harbridge dives into the rebellious persona.  Cabaret audience participation is a complex talent and Harbridge is adept at picking her mark leading to some hilarious unscripted moments that even she could never have dreamed up adding more magic to live theatre.

Whether you are familiar with Chrissy Amphlett and the Divinyls work and back story or not, AMPLIFIED THE EXQUISITE ROCK AND RAGE OF Chrissy Amphlett is a great piece of cabaret.  It is always amazing to see Sheridan Harbridge’s creations, whether it be in her capacity as a writer, director or performer and this work is no exception. 

Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett - Belvoir St Theatre

Photos: Brett Boardman

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