The Gospel According to Paul

- A Soft Tread Production -

Returning to CPAC in 2021!

One of Australia’s favourite performers, Jonathan Biggins, is Paul Keating – visionary, reformer and rabble-rouser – in the return of the 2019 smash hit comedy, The Gospel According to Paul. Full of intelligence and wit, The Gospel According to Paul is a funny, insightful and occasionally poignant portrait of Paul Keating. The man that - as he tells it – single-handedly shaped contemporary Australia.

Like so many Australians, Jonathan has long been fascinated by Keating and what Keating means to Australia. Showcasing his eviscerating wit, rich rhetoric and ego the size of Everest, The Gospel According to Paul distils Keating’s essence into 90 minutes, focusing on key biographical milestones, landmark political achievements and personal obsessions. It shows the man who grew up in the tribe of the Labor Party and gained an education at the knee of Jack Lang, who treated economics as an artform, and demanded we confront the wrongs of our colonial past.

Biggins asks the question - what can we learn today from this singular politician, and the momentous time in our country’s history he dominated?

This production contains coarse language. It is recommended for ages 15+

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Credits

Creative team

Director: Aarne Neeme

Designer: Mark Thompson

Lighting Designer: Verity Hampson

Sound and Video Designer: David Bergman

Cast

Written and Performed by Jonathan Biggins

Production

Company Stage Manager: Tanya Leach

Touring Production Manager: Amy Robertson

Technical Director: Marcus Kelson

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Note from Writer/Performer Jonathan Biggins

In all my years writing and performing for the Wharf Revue, one character has remained a constant favourite of the audience: Paul Keating. Love him or hate him, he is universally recognised as a leader who not only had a vision for Australia but could articulate it, fight for it and, most importantly, deliver it. The Bankstown boy with no formal education who quickly realised that to get things done in political life, it’s better to be needed than loved. A razor-sharp wit who could destroy opponents with words alone, a romantic and a melancholic who bestrode the public stage yet remained intensely private. I can’t think of a more entertaining or significant figure in recent Australian history with whom to spend an evening. All iceberg, no tip.

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About the Company

Soft Tread Enterprises produces independent projects across film, TV and the performing arts. Founded by leading Australian producer Jo Dyer, Soft Tread’s productions have played widely at venues and Festivals around Australia and have toured internationally, including to NZ, India and the US. Soft Tread’s award-winning films have screened theatrically and at Festivals worldwide, including at the Berlin International Film Festival.

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Reviews

"A hilariously funny, astute, inspiring show" ★★★★★ - Limelight

"Biggins’ finest work" ★★★★½ - Sydney Morning Herald

"A rare treat" ★★★★½ - Stagenoise

When

Location

Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, 198 Vincent St, Cessnock, 2325, View Map