Review: THE END OF THE WHARF AS WE KNOW IT Is The Fabulous Final Season For The Wharf Revue

Wednesday 20th November 2024, 7:30pm, York Theatre Seymour Centre

For a quarter of a century Jonathan Biggins, Phillip Scott and Drew Forsythe delivered an annual examination of Australian and International politics in the form of intelligent satire.  This year’s offering, THE END OF THE WHARF AS WE KNOW IT, is listed as the last Wharf Revue that the trio will produce.

Originally presented as an annual fixture in Sydney Theatre Company’s programming at its Sydney home at The Wharf Theatre, The Wharf Revue shifted to the Seymour Centre with Independent producer Jo Dyer in 2021. Over the years Biggins, Scott and Forsythe have engaged guest performers to supplement their trio and for the final season the cleverly cerebral creative team have been joined by previous guests Mandy Bishop and David Whitney. 

With a firm nod to the series’ original home, the backdrop recreates the Walsh Bay wharfs with the obligatory allowance for a screen which enables backdrops to be easily changed, and the interludes of pre-recorded material presented as television shows.  A raised podium houses Scott’s piano, Whitney’s electronic percussion kit and Biggins’ bass guitar and enables an old world jazz hall vibe when the entire cast join in.  Hazel Fisher and Scott Fisher’s costume design revives some old favorites while adding new inventive elements that are delivered with the calculated appearance of improvisation and economy. 

With a self-aware expression of the disappointment that their satire has not affected greater change to the political machinations, classic characters are presented alongside newer representations of political figures merging with pop-culture.  Naturally Biggins delivers his laconic take on Paul Keating while Forsythe presents his Pauline Hansen with even greater absurdity.  The current trend for British celebrities to present Australian travel documentaries is presented with humor and clarity and Scott’s Miriam Margolyes is brilliant.  As with previous years, the trio have also hit the right points with regards to new and ongoing political issues and surprisingly they steer clear of making overt statements about the US election, instead delivering an incredibly sensitive and poignant ballad “Good Luck To America”.

As with previous years, many people have THE WHARF REVUE in their calendars as a standard event, well aware of what type of things the company will cover.  As THE END OF THE WHARF AS WE KNOW IT is the final season it feels like the cast has put in extra effort and aside from the brilliant moments that serve to even distract the performers into breaking character, the joys of live performances, this work feels even smoother than before.  It is recommended that all audiences take the opportunity to see this final revue before the shutters come down on THE WHARF REVUE forever.

https://www.seymourcentre.com/event/the-wharf-revue-the-end-of-the-wharf-as-we-know-it/