Richard Cotter

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL: IN THE BIGGINS WAS THE WORD

And lo, upon high, there was cast upon the land a man of wit and wisdom so large you could beach an ark on its peak, and his name was Keating.

Economic colossus, policy titan, gargantuan ego, a Goliath of the put down, leviathan of the one liner, Paul Keating is the kind of prime mover that the post of Prime Minister most definitely needs. The Prime Minister we had to have.

Such a consummate political animal is a dramatist’s dream, and Keating has spawned a musical and several show stopping sketches in various Wharf Reviews. From these sketches, a full play evolved, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL, written and performed by Jonathan Biggins.

Now Biggins has written a book also called THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL which is part the autobiography we will never get and part the genesis of the show and evolution of a smash theatrical hit.

An hysterical history tour, Biggins uses artistic license to lampoon with source material and subject matter ventriloquism. The sharp suited, sharp shooting, sharp tongued Keating provides plenty of humour plated ammo. His rise and rise is sure to get a rise especially when its risible.

But how do you approach creating a biographical play about a prime minister who was equally adored and reviled, who would potentially split an audience long party lines? What was the key to playing Keating that would make his story theatrically interesting?

When Biggins showed an early draft of the play to the director Aarne Neeme, his first question was: Why is is he here?? Why is he telling us the story of his life? Aarne suggested the question of leadership; that Keating, seeing a contemporary absence of any meaningful political leadership was taking this opportunity to remind us of what that entails, and the story of his life was the story of what it takes to make a true leader.

Handsomely presented and bound in liturgical purple, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL is a missal of mirth and a missive of merriment and a reminder of leadership lost.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PAUL by Jonathan Biggins is published by Hachette.