There is no meatier fodder for a political satire than flamboyant sausage-eating tycoon and failed politician, Clive Palmer.
Joining him onstage is ABC journalist Leigh Sales asking the hard questions, Clive’s nephew and personal assistant, and the straight-talking Senator Jacqui Lambie.
This original, new play is written and performed by multi-skilled Adelaide trio notable for award winning political parody Abbott The Musical.
Clive Palmer is played by Nic Conway. We see many sides to Clive through Conway’s versatility as an actor and musician. He is a clever comic, taking an already larger than life character and making him even more flamboyant.
Will Clive Palmer’s replica of The Titanic, The Titanic 2, save us from our current government by shipping us off to New Zealand? Will going for a poo on company time remain sacred? Clive thinks it should.
Lisa Harper portrays four characters impeccably. Her interpretation of Jacqui Lambie was a crowd favourite. Pud Hamilton plays Clive’s brown-nosing nephew in an easy, likeable fashion, skilfully singing and playing piano in a style reminiscent of David Bowie, which strangely works.
The action takes place around a minimalistic set, Clive’s breakfast table. His sausages are both dangerous and analogous.
Clive serenades us in his own nostalgic way. He did, after all publish his own book of poems, Hopes, Dreams and Reflections in 1981. This is a little known fact revealed by these playwrights.
Clive Palmer is full of quirks and mysteries, real ones, which is a tad frightening – even Clive’s nephew has reservations at one point.
The script is energised with hilarious play on words and over-the-top comedy drama. There is even a punchy, witty quiz to ascertain if Clive Palmer is who he says he is.
I would go so far as to say it is a tragicomedy because Clive nearly dies a couple of times. It’s a good thing he doesn’t though because we wouldn’t get our Australia-wide Dinosaur Park with real dinosaurs.
A Full English Breakfast with Clive Palmer is of full of clever ideas.