King O’Malley is a forgotten part of Australia’s colourful political history. The oldest living member of the first Australian parliament when he died at 99, he was a travelling evangelist before moving to Australia and joining the Labor Party. He was responsible for initiating the Commonwealth Bank and the selection of Canberra as the nation’s capital.
Similarly, the play (very loosely) based on his life is a forgotten piece of Australian theatre, premiering in 1970 as a big hit before quickly being forgotten. Melbourne company Don’t Look Away presents this revival after a successful run earlier this year.
Walking into the theatre, you’re confronted with the cast-as-gospel-choir singing a refrain, and immediately you’re immersed in an interactive, abstract and fun ride – never letting the truth get in the way of a good yarn. Beginning with his preaching days, O’Malley (James Cook) has made a pact with a young devil named Angel (Alex Duncan), who’s bought O’Malley’s soul in exchange for success and power. When O’Malley shuns the greed of the evangelical world, Angel has his wife and unborn child die of tuberculosis, and the now ill O’Malley ships off to Australia.
Things get really interesting in Act II when a rambunctious, drunken party turns out to be Question Time, and a now older O’Malley is the Labor member for Tasmania. Matt Hickey gives a strong performance here as Prime Minister Billy Hughes, and the ensemble cast alternates in various roles, ever pushing their performances to full-on and hilarious caricatures. Cook and Duncan own the show as O’Malley and Angel, offering some rollickingly funny performances while juxtaposing this with intensity later in the piece. Not a musical but a play with songs, this show still borrows much from musicals, and is a fun night out at the showhouse.
4/5 stars
The Legend Of King O’Malley is playing at the Seymour Centre until Saturday December 13.
