The Wharf Review team are back again with their new show, ‘Revue Sans Frontieres’. Their current team is Jonathon Biggins, Phillip Scott, Valerie Bader and Garry Scale.

As always the show is fun though I always have that nagging feeling about the Wharf review team shows is that they never really quite come off, and are always a bit hit and miss.

The modus operandi of the show is that there is so much bad stuff going on in the world that the team has come up with a comic satire review team to combat it.

In their usual broad sweep approach the team chooses many targets. These were my favourites. There was a fast paced skit of a tongue in cheek, biographical sketch of Condoleeza Rice. On the video screen Jonathon Biggins did a clever impersonation of Paul Keating. There was a skit on the formidable liberal Federal MP Helen Coonan who was made out as just a John Howard clone. Then there was a skit on David Stratton and Margaret Pomerance, with some clever impersonation, and the couple of-course never agreeing.

By far the wittiest skit was ‘The Tragedy of Costello’. Oh they really gave Costello a hard time, the man from Melbourne who felt he was destined to lead the party. The skit was a take off of Macbeth, drawing parallels between Costello and Macbeth in terms of his ‘vaulting ambition’. Phil Scott enjoyed playing the wicked witches predicting doom!

Phil Scott was his usual extraordinary self, displaying his great skills on the piano and there wouldn’t be a Wharf revue without his famous, thick brow John Howard.

Jonathon Biggins did some good stuff, some clever impersonations, and there was ofcourse his regular gig on the Democrats, appearing in short pants and long socks, and speaking to his colleagues. Biggins also showed a deft hand at electric guitar. I just felt that sometimes during the ninety minutes he looked as if he was hamming it up a bit too much. Maybe he just isn’t that funny!

Valerie Bader was excellent in the many roles that she had to play. She was in great voice and just so solid. The talented Gary Scale rounded out the cast.

Summing up, ‘Revue Sans Frontiers’ was another high spirited, fast paced revue night, highlighted by some zingy one liners and some great music.