Red Wharf: Beyond The Rings Of Satire

This year's Wharf Revue brings politics and sci-fi together in an unlikely but quite lovely convergence of nerdiness. John Howard as Yoda? Yes, friends, it shouldn't work, but if the ears fit… (and a chance to see him get squished is to be offered…) As the kids admitted, there was a little recycling here (a Uranus joke is a must for any outer space skit), but hey, who's complaining? One of the Revue's main men, Jonathan Biggins, was present only onscreen (playing a futuristic Paul Keating speaking from space), but his 'replacement' was fantastic – particular props to relative newbie Josh Quong Tart, whose tongue twisters were worth the price of admission alone. He was joined by regulars Drew Forsythe, Phillip Scott and Amanda Bishop, and again Bishop's Julia Gillard was fabulous (her Mary Poppins skit was the highlight of the show). Beyond the immediate political landscape, the period piece about sam-sex marriage was fab (I can't give away the title because it's not my joke to steal), but again, it was almost impossible not to be impressed by the cast's ability to be so silly but so tuneful, all at once.

Running at Sydney Theatre Company: Wharf Theatre until Sunday 25 November