Review: Keating!

I've now seen this show three times in two different incarnations: the original Drowsy Drivers incarnation (well, not the original - sadly I missed it in its very first production at the 2005 Comedy Festival; I mean the original version before it became a fully fledged wizz-bang stage show with a predominantly new band, The Belvoirs, and mostly new cast) and the Neil Armfield-directed large scale production, which is the version I saw again last night at its (re)opening at the Comedy Theatre.

Yes, three times. It's that fucking good.

That said, I do think the first half of the show as it now stands, pre-interval, is still a little light-on substance-wise, though still very good; but any such qualms are abandoned in the flurry of the second act, which takes the momentum of the first half and charges helterskelter towards the home straight, taking no prisoners and delighting all the way.

Mike McLeish is a dapper, debonair, devilish Paul Keating; a tap-dancing, reggae-singing marvel of a man. His 'Ruler of the Land' song in the first half of the show is endlessly delightful, while in 'Light on the Hill' he drips pathos mixed with passion.

Songwise, Keating! is simply remarkable. Casey Bennetto's magpie-like homage to almost every musical genre under the sun is paired with an enviable gift for lyrical hilarity, evidenced at every turn: from a hip-hop battle in act one to the Cheryl Kernot-Gareth Evans love song in act two.

Terry Serio's Bob Hawke is instantly recogniseable (yes Terry, I think it is the hair; which last night well deserved the round of applause it received); while his take on John Howard captures the thankfully ex-Prime Minister's poisonous ability to be everything to everyone, thanks to a virtuoso sequence assisted by swift and note-perfect costume changes; while simultaneously presenting him as a blustering, pompous, cultural vaccum of a man.

For this latest tour of the musical we had to have that will not die, we have a new John Hewson/Alexander Downer. Previously played by Eddie Perfect, now Brendan Coustley takes on the role, and while lacking Perfect's bite, still brings a camp joy to the latter role.

Evidence of the show's success is that the friend I saw the show with last night, despite not knowing a lot about Australian politics of the early to mid 1990s (having only lived here for some five years or so) still enjoyed himself immensely.

Keating! remains a delight; a wickedly entertaining night out, and a playfully, cheerfully biased romp that satisfies both politically and theatrically. And now that Howard and co are out of office, what more could you ask from a night's entertainment?

Keating! @ The Comedy Theatre Strictly limited season from 13 February - March 8 Bookings: Ticketek 132 849 www.ticketek.com