Theatre / The Gospel According to Paul written and performed by Jonathan Biggins. Canberra Theatre Centre in association with Soft Tread Enterprises, The Playhouse until 20 September 2026. Reviewed by JOE WOODWARD

Theatre presents biographical stories on a regular basis; myth, heroic deeds and interpretations of reality make great subjects dating back to ancient Greek theatre.

The lampooning and satirising of all such things also provides much comedy and creative substance going back just as far. Serious actors portray characters in the first instance while comedians will offer witty and often dangerous performances within the second. Jonathan Biggins, with his invocation of Paul Keating evokes the essence of both.

From the opening monologue, Biggins lampoons contemporary political issues and personalities with a kind of tongue-in-cheek vigour; all presented with a wink and nod in a Keating style. It fills the room with laughter and recognition from people of all political persuasion.

And then, Biggins, as Keating, takes the audience into the lessons to be learned from a lifetime. He is always aware of the audience being subject to his thoughts and stories.

Biggins is actually very respectful of his audience in both the writing and the performance. The lightness in the presentation also inhabits the darkness of some of his content. For instance, his seemingly dismissive references to AUKUS were grounded in the very sceptical utterances of Keating himself.

This is where Biggins work finds a liminality between himself and Paul Keating and between the real figure and the audience’s perceptions of him. Biggins inhabits the man, the historical icon and the politician in a way that takes his performance well beyond that of simple satire. His gestures and vocal intonations go beyond characterisation.

In effect, Biggins provides a self-effacing genius of endowment bridging the very act of performance with historical reality.

There is no imposition in his work. Biggins goes further than simply using an actor’s timing to make a point. He allows time to invest his every gesture and every utterance as an invitation for the audience to share in his multidimensional portrayal.

The humour and poignancy of Biggins’ creation is testimony to the artists inhabiting of a very real personage within an historical setting.

Biggins creates a distinct new genre of theatre.

He breathes life into multiple genres of theatre with his tour de force creation of Paul Keating. The Gospel According to Paul is profound writing and exceptional acting.

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