The Story Of John Farnham's 'Whispering Jack' Album Is Being Turned Into A New Musical
"This is the story of an overnight sensation, 20 years in the making.”
John Farnham (Credit: Angela Padovan)
Close to 40 years since its release, John Farnham’s iconic Whispering Jack album is to become the focus of a nascent musical which opens next year.
Dubbed Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical, the two-and-a-half hour presentation will make its debut at the Roslyn Packer Theatre as part of the Sydney Theatre Company’s 2026 between November and December, 2026.
Penned by Jack Yabsley and directed by Mitchell Butel, the musical will tackle the story that led to the release of Farnham's 12th studio album, on September 29th, 1986.
Per a description of the musical, it recounts the tumultous period of time that led to the writing of the record by Farnham, whose legacy is underlined as “King of Pop. Australian hero. The voice of a generation.”
“But as a cash-strapped, middle-aged father in the midst of an Australian rock revolution, it could have gone a very different way,” the description reads.
“In an outer Melbourne suburban garage in 1986, Farnham, with a new band and manager Glenn Wheatley, began work on an album and a song called You’re The Voice that would transform his career and their lives. This is the story of an overnight sensation, 20 years in the making.”
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Indeed, while Farnham had first achieved chart success with debut single Sadie in 1967, his career had begun something of a downward slide by the '80s, and despite modest success as the temporary frontman for the Little River Band early that decade, it was his next album that would be his biggest hit.
Supported by Wheatley – who mortgaged his house to fund its recording – Whispering Jack was a momentous release in Australian music history, becoming the best-selling album by an Australian artist, and often topping lists of the best local albums of all time.
It spent 25 weeks atop the charts, and heralded a new era of success for Farnham, with the forthcoming musical set to pay tribute to both the artist and his status as an icon of local music.
Though no cast details have been firmed as yet, tickets for the musical’s premiere are on sale now ahead of its debut in September 2026.
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