The Warumpi band are responsible for some of Australia’s biggest hits and hold an important part in Australian music history. Big Name No Blankets is essentially a cross between a musical and a tribute to this iconic band, being held as part of the Sydney Festival line-up at the Roslyn Packer Theatre. Whatever its classification, this was an outstanding performance from start to finish, with energetic vocals, great music and a compelling story line. 

The band was exceptionally well cast with Googoorewon Knox brilliant as lead singer George. He had a Freddie Mercury like presence and sung incredibly well which set a fantastic tone for the rest of the production. The rest of the band was also exceptional too, with strong voices and great story-telling skills. 

The musical touched on some heavy issues including racism, exclusion and isolation. These issues were sensitively handled, with Sammy Butcher (part of the original band) serving as a story and cultural consultant. The narrative was compelling and the audience interested in the band which is often a difficult thing to do in a biographical musical. The audience was up and dancing for much of the musical which was also a great sign for interest and engagement. 

Some of the technical aspects of the musical were a little less developed, with the digital background being a little basic at times. Some lines were also stumbled and dropped and there were quite a few microphone issues, which were well handled but sometimes distracted from the performance. However, overall, this did not impact what was a great performance of an interesting musical. 

This is a fairly unique musical in the Australian landscape and given that it is a biographical musical, it is a credit to the production team and cast that it does not feel contrived at all. It is engaging and exciting and the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the performance. This is a musical that is certainly worth seeing.

Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

For more information on Big Name No Blankets, click here.

Photo credit: Brett Boardman