We bow down to Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett’s co-creators, Sheridan Harbridge (star/writer), Sarah Goodes (director) and Glenn Moorhouse (musical director/guitarist).
It’s impossible to imagine anyone else starring in this show, which, quite frankly, wouldn’t exist without Harbridge. Props to the phenomenal four-piece live backing band also, which is rounded out by bassist Ben Cripps, drummer Dave Hatch and keyboardist Clarabell Liu.
Harbridge’s excellent diction spotlights lyrics within this musical’s reimagined song arrangements, some of which land differently given Amphlett’s premature passing aged 53 (see: the prophetic Good Die Young, in particular).
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There’s a clue in this musical’s title: Harbridge doesn’t actually play the role of Amphlett, instead channelling the late Divinyls singer’s fearless persona. But when Harbridge glowers at us from beneath her long bangs, she totally embodies Amphlett’s spirit.
To create Amplified…, Harbridge pored over Amphlett’s best-selling memoir, 2005’s Pleasure And Pain – honouring how this musical’s subject chose to be remembered.
Inspired by Angus Young’s schoolboy persona, a school tunic purchased from David Jones – teamed with ripped stockings and suspenders – completed Amphlett’s transformation into the self-described “Monster” character she developed for Divinyls.
Fan recollections are sprinkled throughout, including shared recollections from Moorhouse and Harbridge herself. Harbridge discovered Amphlett when she was a schoolgirl watching Rage!, with eyes glued to the TV screen digesting Divinyls’ I Touch Myself clip. Since she shared a bedroom with her siblings, Harbridge hilariously recalls experimenting with self-pleasure on the school bus.
Amplified’s audiences get a vivid picture of Amphlett’s “too much too young” teen years spent in Belmont and Torquay, growing up too fast around toxic older boys. Boys In Town’s escalating, closing “Get me out of here!”s are delivered so convincingly we get the goosies.
Divinyls’ manager Vince Lovegrove’s gee-up phrase for Amphlett before she hit the stage was, “Loose as a goose, but aggro”. Amphlett effortlessly silenced hecklers with well-timed c-bombs, urinated on stage (which she’d be arrested for these days, we’re told), jumped on bouncers’ backs and rummaged through handbags punters had stashed behind amps, flinging tampons in the air and smearing found lipsticks across her face.
The audience gains valuable insights into Amphlett’s life and songs, leaving with a greater understanding of the woman behind Divinyls’ magnetic mouthpiece.
Divinyls dominated the dick-swinging pub rock circuit of the late ‘70s, with Amphlett bulldozing the styles of performance that were available to nonmales around that time. We’re tipping Amy Taylor was drawn to Amphlett’s rage when she first clapped eyes on her pouty ferocity.
Post-show, we paid our respects at Amphlett Lane – just a strut, spin and assertive hitchkick away from Comedy Theatre – to pay our respects to this singular, uncompromising, groundbreaking artist gone too soon.
Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett runs at Sydney’s Seymour Centre from 15 to 25 April.
