Gladys: A Musical Affair review – Berejiklian parody show is too flimsy to be funny

TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:

"Review: 'Gladys: A Musical Affair' Lacks Depth and Cohesion in Political Parody"

Gladys: A Musical Affair review – Berejiklian parody show is too flimsy to be funny analysis cover image The Guardian 6.0
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Original Article Source: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/may/12/gladys-a-musical-affair-review-berejiklian-parody-show-is-too-flimsy-to-be-funny
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AI Analysis Average Score: 6.0
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TruthLens AI Summary

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Australians turned to new forms of entertainment, with the daily press conferences led by then-premier Gladys Berejiklian becoming a focal point for viewers in New South Wales. However, the emotional connection to these broadcasts was shattered in 2021 when Berejiklian was found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct, raising questions about her integrity while overseeing public funding. This context sets the stage for "Gladys: A Musical Affair," a parody musical currently being performed in Sydney as part of the comedy festival. The show, created by Nick Rheinberger and Tia Wilson, attempts to explore Berejiklian's political journey and the scandal surrounding her but falls short in delivering a compelling narrative. While the music features a blend of genres, including rock and folk, the script lacks depth, offering only a superficial examination of its subject matter without thoroughly engaging with the emotional complexities of the events it references.

The musical features clever musical compositions but suffers from a weak structure. The portrayal of Gladys as a 'good girl' navigating her political rise is marred by a script that fails to delve into her inner life or provide a cohesive story. Instead, the show relies excessively on audience familiarity with past events, which detracts from its ability to stand alone as a narrative. The comedic elements are broad and lack sophistication, leaning on physical humor and clichés that do not elevate the material. While the musical's songs may entertain, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, rendering it a disposable piece of political commentary that fails to resonate meaningfully with its audience. As it currently stands, "Gladys: A Musical Affair" is a missed opportunity to create a thought-provoking exploration of a significant political figure and her legacy, instead offering a lightweight parody that lacks the necessary depth and rigor to be considered a successful musical or comedy show.

TruthLens AI Analysis

The review of "Gladys: A Musical Affair" serves multiple purposes, primarily to critique the production while reflecting on the cultural and political climate surrounding former Premier Gladys Berejiklian. It delves into how the pandemic changed public engagement with political figures, highlighting the emotional connection that developed during the lockdowns.

Cultural Reflection

This article taps into the collective memory of a unique moment in time when Berejiklian's press conferences became a focal point for many in New South Wales. The review suggests that the musical attempts to explore the complexities of her character and political actions, yet falls short in its execution, indicating a struggle to balance humor and critique effectively.

Public Perception Manipulation

By framing Berejiklian as both a "good girl" and a flawed politician, the article subtly influences public perception. It raises questions about her integrity without delivering a substantiated narrative, which could lead audiences to draw conclusions based on emotion rather than facts. The lack of depth in the script, as mentioned in the review, may serve to trivialize serious issues of corruption and governance.

Trustworthiness of the Content

The review critiques the musical's failure to deeply engage with the scandal surrounding Berejiklian, which raises questions about the review's own reliability. While it provides insights into the production, the emphasis on its shortcomings could indicate an underlying agenda to downplay the significance of the political context. This suggests a manipulative quality, as it may detract from a more nuanced discussion of Berejiklian's actions and their implications.

Potential Societal Impact

The article could influence public discourse around political accountability in Australia, particularly in relation to corruption. By addressing both the musical and Berejiklian's legacy, it encourages audiences to reflect on the implications of her conduct in office. The review could mobilize opinion against perceived political impunity, potentially leading to calls for greater transparency in governance.

Target Audience

The review appears to resonate more with those engaged in the arts and political critique, likely appealing to audiences who prioritize social commentary in their entertainment. It seems to target viewers who appreciate a blend of humor and serious political examination, although the execution may alienate some who seek a more profound analysis.

Stock Market and Global Impact

While the review does not directly relate to stock markets or global power dynamics, the themes of political integrity and public trust could indirectly affect investor confidence in Australian governance. If the discourse around Berejiklian leads to broader concerns about political stability, it might impact economic conditions and investor sentiment in the region.

AI Influence in Writing

There is a possibility that AI tools were utilized in composing the review, particularly in structuring arguments and phrasing. However, the emotional undertones and subjective insights suggest a human touch. If AI was involved, it may have influenced the narrative style to make it more engaging, but the critical perspective remains grounded in human analysis.

In conclusion, while the review provides a critique of "Gladys: A Musical Affair," it also reflects broader societal tensions regarding political accountability and public trust. Its effectiveness may be limited by its superficial engagement with complex issues, which could lead to misinterpretations of Berejiklian's legacy. The review's reliability is therefore somewhat questionable, as it does not fully explore the implications of its subject matter.

Unanalyzed Article Content

Source URL: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/may/12/gladys-a-musical-affair-review-berejiklian-parody-show-is-too-flimsy-to-be-funny

Five years ago, locked in our homes and isolated from our loved ones, we invented new rituals to keep ourselves sane. We baked bread. We played trivia with friends on Zoom. We replaced going to the theatre with binge-watching 237 episodes of medical drama Grey’s Anatomy – twice. (Or was that just me?)

And for many of us in New South Wales, the daily 11am coronavirus press conferences led by then-premier Gladys Berejiklian became sacred appointment television. Maybe it was the sense of intimacy lockdown fostered that sent so many into emotional upheaval when, in 2021,Berejiklian was found to have engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”, breaching public trust by failing to disclose a personal relationship with politician Daryl Maguire while overseeing funding to his electorate. The memes werevicious, funny and funereal.

And now there’s Gladys: A Musical Affair. Currently playing in multiple Sydney venues for the Sydney comedy festival ahead of a longer tour (yes, it will stop in Wagga Wagga, Maguire’s onetime electorate), this is a lean one hour that features some great composing, paired with a script that doesn’t even go Wikipedia-deep into its subject.

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Created by Nick Rheinberger and Tia Wilson, who first introduced their Gladys – played by Wilson – in Watch and Act, a rock musical about the black summer bushfires (thatnumber is reused for this show), this musical is framed as an investigation into the former premier. “Truth or lie? Truth or lie?” they sing at the top of the show, promising to get to the heart of the Icac scandal. Was Gladys a calculating politician pulling a fast one? Or was she led astray by “dodgy Daryl”?

Gladys is positioned as a “good girl” and a “swot”, rising through the ranks of power from her local Girl Guides to the Young Liberals in a song that takes us on a whistle-stop tour through her early life. “Good morning everybody” – her lockdown press conference catchphrase – is said so many times in this number and subsequent numbers that it ceases to be funny. But once she gets into politics, Gladys fumbles. She needs staffers mumbling facts into her ear; she starts her black summer presser claiming it’s going to be a great day in NSW; she moons over Maguire.

Thesongs are smartly shaped, mixing Oz-inflected rock, folk and zydeco (Wilson’s Gladys plays the accordion, and at one point Kerry Chant, played by Mel Wishart, even wears and plays a frottoir), moving with pleasant ease and pace. Rheinberger, who plays Maguire and onetime health minister Brad Hazzard, brings in a little banjo for Maguire and the bouzouki to nod to Gladys’s Armenian heritage. Rob Laurie, who plays Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, among others, rounds out the sound with drums and keys.

But the musical structure around them is not as strong. There are only a couple of numbers that let us into Gladys’s inner life, but they sit awkwardly – not emotional revelation, but punctuation, after the events referenced in the songs have already occurred. We hear from Maguire directly in song before Gladys even gets a solo number, which places her, in musical terms, as a secondary character in her own story. We whiz past coronavirus and the discovery of corruption, relying on audience memories and audio grabs from news reports to fill in the gaps – which means the script doesn’t tell the story strongly enough to stand on its own. Apart from the songs themselves, it’s all very flimsy.

Maybe it’s not fair to judge a parody musical in a comedy festival for its strength as musical theatre, but its musical element is its strongest. As a vehicle for jokes, well, it’s crowd-pleasing if you don’t want your crowd to think. The musical’s comic choices are broad and not particularly sophisticated. Physical tics are over-exaggerated; there are an exhausting number of colourful blazers; a lot of comic weight is placed on Gladys’s apparent social and emotional naivete, which is low-hanging fruit for a woman in politics. The jokes, for the most part, choose convenience over cleverness, aiming for references that score knowing laughs of recognition over comic surprise.

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So Gladys: A Musical Affair is not a good musical, and it’s not a good comedy show. But it probably could be, if there was more dramaturgical rigour applied to both its narrative and comic structures. As it stands right now, though, it’s disposable: a slightly-too-late political parody that sings but doesn’t zing.

Gladys: A Musical Affair is on atConcourse Chatswoodon 18 May,Darling Quarter Theatreon 21 June andLaycock Street Community Theatre, Wyoming on 16 August.

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Source: The Guardian