Is Australia suffering a leadership deficit? There was a time when politicians could inspire us. But were they really better than the current crop or has our perception benefited from the passage of time? Is it a case of the more things change the more they stay the same?
Max Gillies has been a keen observer of the political combat zone for half a century. His fascination with the ups and downs of political leadership has seen him parody everyone from Hawke to Howard to Thatcher and many more. In Once Were Leaders, he goes through his extensive catalogue of works to share some of his most infamous characters.
Once Max used to apply make-up, wigs and prosthetic enhancements in order to disguise himself. He doesn’t have those items anymore. But what he has accumulated is a rich collection of pen portraits. Join Max as he shares his memories of a life spent on the fringes of power mining the archive for his favourite speeches, orations and soliloquies.
Once Were Leaders is an intimate evening with Max Gillies. You will see him up close, unmasked and witness as he explains his processes of creation of some of our most loved and hated leadership personalities.
ABOUT MAX GILLIES
Actor, comedian and impersonator extraordinaire, Max Gillies is renowned for his satirical impressions of Australian politicians.
Max commenced performing satires for stage and television in 1980. He is best known for his shows, such as The Gillies Report and Gillies Republic, which screened on ABC from 1983 to 1986. Since 1987, Max has appeared in a selection of serious and comic roles for theatre. Max has created a variety of imaginary characters for corporate training videos and his comic impersonations, including Bob Hawke, Malcolm Fraser, John Howard, Bronwyn Bishop, Geoffrey Blainey, Graham Richardson and Jeff Kennett, which are some of the highlights of many political party launches and special events.
Reviews:
The Australian:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/stage/max-gillies-found-pollies-easy-targets-until-we-voted-in-the-clowns/story-fn9d344c-1227217556269
Sydney Morning Herald:
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/comedy/once-were-leaders-8211-an-evening-with-max-gillies-review-with-affection-for-his-victims-leading-satirist-shines-20150211-13bj2x.html
Stage Whispers:
http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/once-were-leaders
AussieTheatre.com
http://aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/leaders-evening-max-gillies#.VNxdKClGxFI
Television Interviews:
ABC News Breakfast:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-02/revisiting-australias-great-leaders/6061654
All media enquires to:
National Publicist
Michael J Wilkie
E: michael@madpr.com.au
T: 03) 9378 8303 / 0413 733 302
P: PO Box 147, Brunswick 3056 VIC
W: www.madpr.com.au
Once Were Leaders Facebook Page
Photography by Marty Williams