“It’s very true that John said, “No, this is my song, and I’m going to change their minds’, and he went into that studio and changed their minds,” Gaynor Wheatley said.
It’s one of a “string of bangers” Butel said will score the John Farnham musical, covering the singer’s make and break years from 1980 until Farnham’s transformation into national icon. Auditions are already underway for the role of Farnham, as is the licensing of songs.
The idea goes back to 2015 when Glenn Wheatley and theatre producer Michael Cassel inked a deal but sat on their plans, waiting until Farnham finally quit touring. It was top of Gaynor’s “to do” list when Glenn died in 2022. Cassel brought Williams’ The Picture of Dorian Gray to London’s West End, and is doing so again with Dracula.
“This is more than a new musical – it’s a celebration of an artist who defined generations and a moment in time that changed Australian music forever and formed part of the DNA of this country,” Cassel said.
STC’s artistic director, Mitchell Butel will direct Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Filmmaker Jack Yabsley is writing the stage book, with Wheatley as co-producer. She read a draft to Farnham, even acting out the various characters, to receive his consent. Farnham’s wife Jill, the quiet anchor in the singer’s life, took greater convincing that she should be represented on stage.
Farnham was diagnosed with mouth cancer in August 2022 and underwent a 12-hour surgery to remove a cancerous tumour and part of his jaw. After a difficult recovery, he was declared cancer-free in July 2023 but has remained out of the public spotlight. Gaynor said Yabsley has captured Farnham’s voice and sense of mischief.
“John’s voice just cuts through your soul, and then he can come up with a bad dad joke,” she said. “You wonder how does that all sit in the one person, but they do. That’s part of his appeal. He never let fame go to his head.”
Butel rates Farnham’s rock pop voice as among the best in the world. “I don’t think anyone can sing like him.”
Other highlights of STC’s 13 plays for 2026
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Bennelong in London:
A new work by award-winning playwright Jane Harrison, billed as a time travelling exploration of friendship between two First Nations men. A young actor is auditioning for the part of Bennelong, the go-between between the First Fleeters and the Eora people when the ghost of Bennelong pays him a visit. The pair travel back to 1788 when Bennelong is abducted by Governor Philip. “It’s a kind of buddy movie in a way between the spirit of Bennelong and this young actor trying to tell a First Nations story,” Butel says.
Strong is the New Pretty:
Playwright Suzie Miller, who shot to fame with Prima Facie, is back with the backstory of the formation of the Australian Football League’s women’s league. “I must say I’m not a football fan,” says Butel, “but when I heard a read through I was utterly transfixed, and that’s a good sign, if an arts lover can find sport a gripping narrative.” Directed by Lee Lewis, it’s a co-production with the Brisbane Festival.
Purpose:
When Butel emerged from the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway’s 44th Street after seeing a performance of Purpose he jumped on the email and asked for the rights. It will open STC’s season, the first time the Tony award-winning play will be performed outside New York.
An Iliad:
David Wenham returns to the STC stage in this remix of the ancient text. The one-man show sees Wenham as a Homer-esque poet doomed to retell the stories of war and conflict in a play that blends modern language and translated verse.
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