THERE’S a new captain at the helm of the ship of state and The Wharf Revue team couldn’t be happier.

“Looking for Albanese” is the title of the show, a twist on the name of Melina Marchetta’s book-film-play, “Looking for Alibrandi” and it gives the satirical trio of scriptwriters, Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott, a chance to pull out all the stops as they look for the real Albo.

It’s a relief after a year of disasters, which they catalogue: inflation, rising interest rates, conflict in Ukraine, climate disaster, culture wars, COVID-19-20-21-22-23, a looming World War III and, possibly worst of all, the cancellation of “Neighbours”.

Contrary to the promotional images being touted which show them as a line-up of showground clowns, they’re focusing their joint attention on one individual this year. 

“We’re all having a go at playing Albanese,” Jonathan Biggins tells me by phone from Sydney.

One such will be “Albo in Wonderland”, where he frocks up to contend with Forsythe playing the Red Queen of Queensland – now who could that be? 

Another of the Albos is in an aged-care home, but that’s done with a light hand, Biggins says.

It’s a good year for Amanda Bishop who, although she can’t play Pauline Hanson because Forsythe does it every year, gets to play Alice/Albo, reprises her popular Julia Gillard and Jacqui Lambie roles, then plays Tanya Plibersek, Katy Gallagher and Allegra Spender.

A showstopper for her will be an appearance as Peta Credlin, in which guise she sings Maggie Smith’s seductive number, “I’ll Make a Man of You” from Joan Littlewood’s “Oh, What a Lovely War” in The Wharfies’ version, “Oh What a Culture War”.

As for the music, their Mr Music, Scott, has easily mastered the spoof, “Inner West Side Story”, where his flying fingers can cope with the Bernstein numbers, but has been finding difficulties with a number where they appear as Green Wiggles.

Forsythe is the one member of the team who always turns out something a little more sombre. In recent years he’s been seen as playing Rupert Murdoch both as King Lear agonising on the heath and enjoying a chat with Mephistopheles, as well as the late Queen in her darker moments. In 2022 he turns his attention to Afghan refugees – and that’s no laughing matter, Biggins says. 

Leadership is probably the binding motif of this year’s Wharf Revue, so we’ll get to see Biggins once more stride the stage as Donald Trump. But with more than one new ruler to contend with, he’ll have a new role as King Charles giving an address to his loyal Australian subjects.

“Looking for Albanese”, The Playhouse, October 24-November 5.