Comments on: Keating!

By: Sacha

Sacha — Sat, 12 May 2007 17:40:08 +0000

I saw it at the Seymour Centre and really enjoyed it, although dialogue to break up what was entirely songs would have been good.

Strong points – Keating’s: “I’m the man”, Eddie Perfect’s “Alexander ‘Freaky’ Downer”, and John Howard’s: “the mate mate mate mate mate mate mate mate-ship”. Gareth Evans and Cheryl Kernot.

Weak points: Bob Hawke, the 1993 election.

By: Rob

Rob — Sat, 12 May 2007 05:15:40 +0000

Great post, Nicholas.

By: MrLefty

MrLefty — Sat, 12 May 2007 04:47:26 +0000

“The jokes almost ALL fell flat.”

I agree – the audience was laughing at simply recognising quotes. “Ha ha, that’s what he really said!” Bizarre.

By: TimT

TimT — Sat, 12 May 2007 03:53:38 +0000

2006 is merely the year Keating was released to critical acclaim. 2007 is much more important: the year blog-land discovered Keating!

It would have been completely different if it had dialogue and plot, and so on. In a sense it was a shrewd decision of the writers to leave out those bits, and make it essentially a stringing together of comedy songs with some props and stage gags added in to make it a ‘Musical’: allowed them to focus on their strengths. For me, it never worked. The jokes almost ALL fell flat. But the Keating/Hewson rap-battle, which in parts was just a stringing together of Keating insults, was clever.

By: MrLefty

MrLefty — Sat, 12 May 2007 02:50:30 +0000

Saw it on Tuesday… I agree with most of your points. The Downer bit was funny but as you say it was such a simplistic (and unfair) caricature of him. There’s a lot more to criticise about Downer than that he once put fishnet stockings on one leg for a charity photo.

The one thing I think they highlighted about Howard that was fair was the calculating way he presents himself – the “digger”, the “man of the land”, the “Aussie sporting fan” etc.

Still, I think it would’ve been stronger with some dialogue breaking up the songs (it was a bit relentless) and a bit more in the way of drama and intrigue and, well, interest…

By: Bill Cushing

Bill Cushing — Fri, 11 May 2007 14:15:48 +0000

Saw it on Thursday. Some flat bits, but hilarious overall.

Great band.

‘Who’s the Man’ has had plenty of radio airplay (even on ABC Classic FM). Reggae beat, banana republic … a delight.

Downer had better hope that no-one gets the Eddie Perfect piece on to YouTube.

Not sure, like you, about Howard and bullying. But the gritty determination to win was there. Funny how I started to think about class nerd Kevin and ….