By Liron Peer
‘Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett’ is now on at Seymour Centre from April 15th to 25th. The production reached up and brought Australian pop rock icon Chrissy Amphlett back down into the theatre with us. This production is certainly not your average cabaret or tribute; it offers something more. The work was heartfelt, inspiring, and emotional. Sheridan Harbridge brought us Chrissy’s aura, urging us all to “be the crow.”
Harbridge charismatically and humbly paints us a vibrant picture of this out-of-place yet unflinching girl, Chrissy, and we follow her journey through her first gigs at local Sydney bars, to the Divinyls, opening for AC/DC, to her new quiet life in New York and facing her impending death. Harbridge perfectly tells this story through conversations of those who knew her, often switching to different characters in Amphlett’s life. Harbridge acted as a vessel, letting the story and imagination run through her, then dishing out her own antsy raw entertainment on stage.
Besides bringing charm and humour to the performance, Harbridge ventured into far deeper emotional territory. She truly “went there,” allowing the moment to take over touchingly. Initially, I was sceptical of the show’s self-awareness. Harbridge opens by acknowledging that she is “just an actress” and cannot compare to Chrissy Amphlett in all that she was. However, it quickly became clear that this framing was not only intentional but essential. No one else could have guided the audience better through Chrissy’s life and music. Harbridge carried Chrissy’s spirit throughout with a sense of uninhibited enjoyment that was collective amongst the audience.
The use of lighting was particularly effective, elevating the otherwise simply dressed stage. When performing Chrissy’s songs, the lighting design enhanced the mood of the Divinyls pop rock anthems, bringing edge and grit to tracks like ‘Pleasure and Pain’, a sense of nostalgic youth in tracks like “Science Fiction” and capturing the raw energy of ‘The Good Die Young’. The haze worked beautifully when spotlighting Sheridan in more of the ‘still’ numbers, draping alluringly around her, creating an isolated intimacy between song and audience.
Harbridge’s beautiful and strong vocal ability led us to the heart of Chrissy through each song; she adapted her style of vocals to match the layered trajectory of the Divinyls discography. It was clear that Harbridge not only learned these songs but formed meaningful attachments to them, giving the Divinyls songs vulnerability and depth.
If you want to discover the Australian gem that is Chrissy Amphlett in an entertaining evening, I highly recommend getting a seat.