Premiere Season of John Farnham Musical Extended Due To Popular Demand
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Sydney Theatre Company has extended the world-premiere season of Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical, adding a new block of December performances after strong audience demand.
Presented in association with Michael Cassel and Gaynor Wheatley, the production will premiere at Roslyn Packer Theatre from 15 November, with newly added shows running from 22 December, including a Boxing Day matinee. Tickets for the additional dates went on sale at 11am today (6 February).
The musical celebrates forty years since the release of John Farnham’s landmark 1986 album Whispering Jack, the highest-selling Australian album of all time.
It was announced earlier this week that Michael Paynter will star as Farnham, leading an ensemble cast under the direction of STC Artistic Director Mitchell Butel.
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Paynter said stepping into the role is a career highlight. “For me, John Farnham is the absolute zenith of male singers in all of history. The gold standard that I have spent my entire life being blessed and instructed by,” he said.
“After the whirlwind of the last year, being chosen to be a part of this musical, on the Sydney Theatre Company stage, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Director Mitchell Butel said casting the iconic role required more than vocal ability. “How do you cast someone to play one of the greatest singers who’s ever lived? First, you have to try and find a voice as golden and powerful and rich,” he said.
“But John Farnham is more than just an incredible voice. He is the ultimate showman and musical storyteller, with a rare ability to open his heart and connect with every person in his audience.”
Butel added that seeing Paynter perform Gethsemane in Jesus Christ Superstar convinced him he had found the right lead. “When I watched Michael in Jesus Christ Superstar, his voice and performance took my breath away,” he said, describing Paynter’s warmth and wit as “spookily Farnham-like”.
Producer Michael Cassel said it was “an enormous responsibility” to find the right performer, noting that Paynter’s “extraordinary vocal ability and emotional connection to the material immediately set him apart”. Gaynor Wheatley echoed the sentiment, saying the casting process had been “meticulous and considered” and that audiences would be “blown away by his performance”.
Written by Jack Yabsley, the musical traces Farnham’s journey in 1986 as a financially struggling artist recording in a suburban Melbourne garage, ultimately creating an album that would redefine Australian pop history.
Sydney Theatre Company’s Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical plays Roslyn Packer Theatre from 15 November 2026, with tickets now on sale.
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