“GOUGH” Sells Out

Sells Out at Melbourne Fringe — A Theatrical Salute to a National Icon

Ludwik Exposto, Patrick Chiroco and Andii Mulders performing in The Sheds © Presidential Productions

MELBOURNE — In a year filled with politically charged theatre, it was a one-man play about Gough Whitlam — Australia’s most charismatic and controversial Prime Minister — that drew crowds, sparked debate, and left audiences cheering, reflecting.

GOUGH, the minimalist yet emotionally potent new play from writer-director James Cunningham, officially sold out its entire season at Melbourne Fringe. Staged in a stark black box transformed into the Prime Minister’s office, the production offered audiences a front-row seat to the events of 11 November 1975, when Whitlam was dismissed by the Governor-General in the nation’s only constitutional crisis.

“Audiences flock to Gough,” says Cunningham. “Australians love him. They wanted to remember him, reckon with him, and hear his voice again.”

And thanks to actor Warwick Merry, that voice rang clear and true. Trained as a professional speaker and presenter, Merry’s performance was equal parts stately and human — shifting effortlessly between rhetoric and reflection. His portrayal, developed in collaboration with Cunningham, avoided caricature in favour of something deeper.

“We watched hours of footage of Gough,” says Cunningham, “but never tried to mimic Gough. Interpretation without impersonation.”

The play was praised by critics and audiences for its intellectual clarity and emotional power. While GOUGH was largely constructed from Cunningham’s own script, it was woven together with real quotations from Whitlam’s own words in The Truth of the Matter, and his many media appearances.

One reviewer for AussieTheatre.com describes Gough "It opens with the famous ‘It’s Time’ campaign advertisement and the small room fills with nostalgia," says Valentina Ilievska, "My heart suddenly swells. My leftist pride piqued." One audience member, “A great exploration in character embodiment and political storytelling,” while another described the performance as “hauntingly timely — an elegy for leadership, delivered in Whitlam’s own rhythm.” Even the Australian Fabian Society, with whom Whitlam had long-standing ties, came on board to support the show, bringing members and political enthusiasts to nearly every performance.

Much was made of the television set, designed and dressed by Cunningham himself. Each object — from a whiskey decanter to a vintage pot plant — was selected for authenticity. But one moment in particular seemed to capture the hearts of audiences; when an old 1970's television set flickers to life, playing the original “It’s Time” campaign commercial. It was a stroke of theatrical poetry — nostalgic, hopeful, and sharply ironic.

“We had to burn the footage onto a DVD and run a cable around the theatre to make it work,” Cunningham explains. “But when it turns on, it was nostalgic and ghostly — people actually gasped. ”

With the Melbourne run behind him, Cunningham is already thinking ahead. Though nothing is confirmed yet, there’s been talk of potential future productions — perhaps in Canberra, or as part of a political theatre festival abroad. When asked about future projects, Cunningham grins. History has no shortage of big characters.

For future updates on GOUGH or Cunningham’s upcoming work, visit presproductionsco.com/gough.