Sheridan Harbridge is one of the most sought after performers and writers on Australia’s theatre scene at the moment, with My Brilliant Career on Sydney Theatre Company at the moment which she penned and Prima Facie returning as soon as My Brilliant Career finishes with Harbridge in the lead role. For the moment, Harbridge is performing her one woman show, Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett, which is a cabaret style tribute to the lead singer of the Divinyls which combines Harbridge’s writing skills with her stagecraft.

The show has been wildly successful, with a sold out season at the Belvoir Street Theatre after touring around Australia. Demand has been so high that Harbridge has returned for a second Sydney season, this time at the Everest Theatre at the Seymour Centre. Amphlett had wanted to do a one woman show and was working on one at the time of her tragic death from breast cancer in 2013 and Harbridge has taken the idea and brought it to life with a number of Divinyls hits, charting her life from the start, with everything from fame to fortune to the bad times, with a little bit of humour thrown in between.

Harbridge is an exceptional performer, with a performance that channels the energy of Amphlett and really brings life to the Seymour Centre stage. She does an excellent job of engaging with the crowd throughout the whole set, many of whom were clearly passionate  Amphlett fans. At one point, she took a lady’s purse onto the stage, which led to a number of hilarities, while she also engaged with other members of the crowd who had a little bit of fun back. Everyone was in good spirits, as Harbridge showed off great charisma and a fantastic voice.

The show, directed by Sarah Goodes with musical direction from Glenn Moorhouse, feels tight, but at the same time could have used a little bit more structure in order to fully bring out the story and the music. It feels as though there are points where there are very few songs and points where the songs really carry the story and it would have been better if it had been a little more even throughout the 90 minute runtime.

With that said, although this is a theatrical cabaret style performance, it also feels very much like a pub rock concert, with Harbridge really getting the ambience and energy right, which is a testament to her voice and her performing skills given that the set is quite a simple one. The band are also fantastic, providing great range and amplifying the tracks well but the star of the show is truly Harbridge, with a performance that is ferocious, passionate and also fiercely critical of the status quo around her as she embodies Amphlett.

Additionally, the production does an excellent job of getting across the outrageously sexist environment for women as Amphlett was growing up and beginning to make her name whilst avoiding coming across as preachy. It is a difficult balance, but it is managed very well. By the time we roll onto the encore, the whole crowd is upstanding and dancing for “I Touch Myself”, which is a great way to close out the night. 

Overall, this is an excellent show, with Harbridge doing an incredible job in the lead role, bringing charisma and great vocals to the stage. While the production struggles a little at times with its pacing, it does give a great account of Amphlett and the challenges that she faced in the Australian music industry as she developed into a star. For those who are fans of Amphlett and the Divinyls, this is definitely a must watch and those who did not grow up with Amphlett will definitely learn something and appreciate this production as well.

Rating: ★★★★

Amplified plays at the Everest Theatre until 25 April. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Brett Boardman