Brisbane-based barrister, Michael Hodge, wrote the book with his brother, Paul Hodge, who also composed the music and wrote the lyrics. Paul has a PhD in musical composition, and has also gained Brisbane’s prestigious ‘Young and Emerging Artist Fellowship’ and numerous other international awards.

This bright and effervescent 2-hour show can be seen at the Heath Ledger Theatre in Northbridge nightly at 7.30 until 11^th September.

The scene is a magnificent representation of the exterior of the White House, complete with majestic central white dome and flag pole (Set and Costume Designer, Bruce McKinven). The musicians are positioned on the top deck, in a ‘bandstand’ just under the cupola. Sensibly, the drums (Michael Perkins) were enclosed in a Perspex area, allowing a superb balance of the instruments. The Musical Director and keyboard player was David Young, with guitarist Jonathan Fernandes and bass player Andrew Weir. Thanks to clever orchestration (Neil Douglas Reilly), the effect was that of a large band.

As the stage revolves, we see the podium for public announcements. The stage wings’ legs and backdrop are in red, white and blue. This theme by Scenic Artist, Marek Syzler, has been picked up and continued by the Lighting Designer, Mark Howett, and used to great effect.

It is rare to have the audience applaud the set, but at the opening this well admired set earned a big round of applause. 

       The proscenium grand drape is a figurative American flag; it rises to reveal Hillary Clinton (Lisa Adam, looking amazingly like the lady herself) inside the White House’s Oval Office. Hillary makes it clear that she is the person in power, and goes on to tell us the story behind her husband’s mayhem as President.

     The President enters the office, and everyone around sees him as one; but because of his parallel lives, he is portrayed by two very different characters who talk to each other. There is the clear-headed leader, in a smart suit – W.J. Clinton (Simon Burke) and the wild, leather dressed, irresponsible philanderer – Billy Clinton (Matt Dyktynski).

     The country is buoyant and politics running smoothly. The Press however – agitated by Clinton’s nemesis, Newt Gingrich (Luke Hewitt), Speaker of the House – try to create debasing news. They drag up the ‘Whitewater Scandal’, a real estate investment of the Clintons that collapsed with little actual humiliation to them. Gingrich, still determined to shame Clinton engaged Kenneth Starr (Brendan Hanson), an independent counsel who lusts after men in power.

     WJ asks his ever-faithful wife, Hillary, for her advice and unexpectedly receives wise words from the ghost of Eleanor Roosevelt (Clare Moore), the wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, President during World War 2.

     One day, into the Oval Office came Monica Lewinsky (Megan Kozak), a White House intern. New ‘meat’ for the philandering Clinton?

     There follows attempts at Impeachment and a legal battle, but who will win? Will Bill Clinton leave the post with worthwhile reforms in place? What is Hillary doing in the background?

Director Adam Mitchell is at his best with a musical, but here he gives us something extra special. With a cast of seven performers playing more than a dozen parts, the action moved at jet speed. With the astounding quality of the actors, and their immense versatility, we are soon fooled into thinking that there is a huge cast.

Choreographer, Claudia Alessi, being completely in tune with the uproarious comedy had the cast moving with hilarity. Lisa Adam as Hillary was wild and energetic and her interpretation of ‘Brew It for Your Country’ was dazzling.

Another highlight was Brendan Hanson as Ken Starr, who brought the house down with his rendition of a gay in heat singing ‘Starr Is Born’.

Jenny Edwards’ costumes ranged from the numerous, bright pastel outfits of Hillary to the semi-bondage, ‘cheeky’ ensemble of Ken Starr. Immaculately finished by wardrobe assistants Gail Reading, Elizabeth Buckland and Louise Arcus.

You keep expecting the story to tactfully smudge the details, but this brave musical just gets the boot in, and gives the audience the most fun in a long time. The audience split their sides with Megan Kozak’s execution of ‘Monica’s Song’, as Monica gloated on her conquest by celebrating in song with untamed actions – brilliant.

The lively and interesting sound design was by Ben Collins. There were about a couple of dozen songs with hysterical lyrics, but as the actors wore headsets the words were crystal clear.

A poor American accent can grate and annoy, however Voice Coach, Julia Moody, had the whole cast speaking in the same modest accent. The cast even managed to change this slightly with the multiple characters that they played.

Stage Manager, Claudia Blagaich and her assistant Stage Manager, Rhianne Perrie were dressed in smart black suits and moved in and out of the action moving lecterns, chairs and other props.

There are plays where the acting can be outstanding, the singing melodic and the dancing inventive. There are shows that give the audience a good laugh and you leave the theatre with a smile; but rarely do you get all the features combined in one production. This musical is just one of these rarities. A MUST see show.

Standing ovations are quite infrequent these days, but this production truly deserved theirs.

Hannie Rayson has written fourteen plays, but is mainly known for ‘Hotel Sorrento’ and her Miles Franklin Award nominated ‘Life after George’. However, Hannie has also been awarded two Australian Writers’ Guild Awards, four Helpmann Awards, two NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and a Victorian Premier’s Literary Award as well as the Age Performing Arts Award and The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award, putting her in a small, select Australian group of authors.

The Black Swan State Theatre Company is presenting this wonderful, two and a half hour play nightly at 7.30 until the 4^th October.

Bryan Woltjen’s innovative sets consist of a vet’s operating room, an office and a residential, high-rise flat – all minimalistic, with no trimmings. The view from the rear windows brought life to the rooms. In the second Act, there was a woodland scene, which blew everyone away bringing the designer an enthusiastic applause.

The complex sound effects (Ben Collins) ranged from the tropical storm, to squeals of the quoll and the chatter of the woodland creatures, very clever. As ever, Trent Suidgeest’s lighting design was employed to great effect in creating atmosphere.

Voice coach, Luzita Fereday, guided Hannah Day’s soft Philadelphia accent.

     Veterinary surgeon, Andy Dixon (Myles Pollard) has travelled the world treating exotic animals. On one of his trips, he met a young woman, Piper Ross (Hannah Day) who was wholeheartedly dedicated to the conservation of animals. Now, back in Australia, they open a country veterinary practice.

     One night, as a storm rages, a man rushes into the practice carrying a wild animal wrapped in a blanket. It is an injured quoll. The concerned driver, Harry (Matt Dyktynski) has just hit the creature with his 4-wheel drive. As Piper starts treating the Tiger Quoll, she is inwardly quite thrilled, as quolls have not been seen in their area for at least a decade. Andy returns from delivering a calf, and after a clash with Piper on the best therapy for the quoll, continues the treatment.

     The vet’s sister, Heather Dixon-Brown (Sarah McNeill) has a research PhD, and is Professor of Conservation at the university. She too is devoted to preservation, but is frustrated that all of the government funding seems to go to the wrong causes and her projects could close through lack of support.

What a wonderful script. In the wrong hands this could easily have become a tedious lecture, however, Hannie has given the story dozens of interesting and controversial story threads, some of which explode when you least expect.

The director, Stuart Halusz, was faced with a dialogue-based script and little action, but being an award-winning actor, he has the skills to ensure his magnificent cast have dominated their complex, fascinating characters.

For most scenes, Rayson had only two of the cast on stage at a time; this allowed the true temperaments, and various foibles, to become slowly obvious to the audience. This permitted us to see how strong or delicate the interrelationships actually were.

The play had controversy, humour, suspense, sadness and of course, the all-important SEX.

It is a long time since I have heard such an enthusiastic final applause from an audience. The ‘Quollity of enthusiasm was not restrained’, a superbly written, uplifting, wonderful night’s entertainment by a skilled cast.