Quambatook – the Musical
Review by Anna Rose

If ever there was a musical made for every man, woman and child in Australia to see and enjoy it’s Quambatook. The musical with the unlikely name (it’s a Victorian country town) played for four big nights at Panthers World of Entertainment, Penrith, from February 7-10 and I was fortunate to be there on opening night.

Being the premiere, it did not go without the occasional hiccup, as you would expect when it’s a “live” production. The backing tracks behind the singers left no room for human error, and if a performer missed their cue to start a song, there were no friendly blokes behind them grinning, saying, “yeah, it’s okay, we’ll wait for you to catch up.”

Having said that, I must tell you I was totally unprepared for the gamut of emotions the musical put me through, sitting out there in the audience – and I didn’t even have a tissue!

From great big belly laughs, when the emu (as opposed to the stork) delivered young Johnno to his proud parents, then subsequently, each visit from the emu brought another Williamson baby into the happy household. The four young men chosen to portray the Williamson brothers – Johnno, Wil, Rob and Pete, were absolutely marvellous.

I’ve always been a major fan of Darren Coggan and was thrilled to see him in what is clearly his element – singing and acting. Darren had the role of dad. In recent years Darren has explored the world of musical theatre and appeared in Grease the Mega Musical, Shout! and Moonshadows, as well as cameos on All Saints. It’s paid off handsomely for the red-headed bloke from Wagga Wagga, who was totally believeable as the head of the Williamson clan.

Belinda Wollaston, in the role of mum, performed beautifully. Her scene with young Johnno sitting on a log when she was comforting him and sang The Joy Is In The Journey – the show’s theme song – was quite extraordinarily moving.

The man whose 20-year-long dream came true on opening night, was the narrator, John Williamson. It’s John’s words and music that have given the show such depth and meaning.

It was terrific seeing country gentleman Reg Poole in the role of the Silver Haired Showman, even though he would probably have been much more comfortable swimming in a river full of crocodiles than he was on opening night.

John’s talented daughter, Ami Williamson, effectively stole the show with her sassy entrance as the stewardess singing Papa Whiskey November. Her background in the arts certainly qualified her for this scene-stealing role – and she has a great voice too.

Warren H Williams was just wonderful in the role of Albert (Namatjira), from whom he is a direct descendant. For Warren it was a privilege to portray his ancestor – and of course, he added that sparkle to the show with his wide grin and authentic Australian voice.

Those young people portraying the winged fiddler, the emu and the chorus, should be commended for their contribution to the show.

The musical’s writer and co-producer, Simon Heath, had a catalogue of some 300 songs to choose from and his choices were spot on. He obviously researched his subject well to come up with the storyline that could move an entire audience to tears, then in the next moment, to fits of laughter.

It is hoped the musical will tour Australia, and perhaps even further afield, at some stage in the future. I, for one, could see it again and again and never tire of the music.

The underlying themes of love for your family and love for your country shone through like a beacon in the darkness. I would love to see that light shine brightly on stages across this country, so everyone can enjoy the journey.
If you’d like to know more about Quambatook, the Musical, visit the website, http://www.johnwilliamson.com.au