The Australian music icon will be portrayed by ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ lead Michael Paynter, who described the opportunity as “an honour that is very hard to put into words.”
John Farnham(Credit: Serge Thomann)
John Farnham
An Australian music icon will be presented live on stage in 2026, with the official Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical premiering in Sydney this November.
The Sydney Theatre Company, Michael Cassel and Gaynor Wheatley announced the news today (2 February), revealing that the musical will have its debut at the Sydney Theatre Company’s World Premiere season at Roslyn Packer Theatre on Sunday, 15 November.
Singer, songwriter and performer Michael Paynter, fresh off a stint in the lead role for the 2025 season of Jesus Christ Superstar, will portray John Farnham in the musical.
In addition to his own music career and one-half of the songwriting and production duo MSquared, Paynter has performed alongside John Farnham and is a full-time member of both ICEHOUSE and Jimmy Barnes’ touring bands.
The musical arrives 40 years after Whispering Jack’s 1986 release. It will see Paynter and an ensemble cast bring the extraordinary story behind the album to life—a record that changed Farnham’s life and became the highest-selling Australian album of all time.
Tickets are available from today via the Sydney Theatre website.
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“To be asked to help tell the story of the greatest voice this country has ever produced is an honour that is very hard to put into words,” Paynter commented in a statement. “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.”
“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. I only hope I can do my best, with what I have been given, to honour the man and his legacy.”
Gaynor Wheatley said, “Finding the right person to step into John’s shoes and bring this story to life has been a meticulous and considered process. When Michael Paynter performed the material for the first time, there was an immediate sense of recognition in the room, not just of his remarkable vocal ability, but of the respect, understanding and care he brings to John’s story. Audiences will be blown away by his performance.”
Artistic Director Mitchell Butel added that after seeing Paynter’s rendition of Gethsemane in Jesus Christ Superstar, he knew he’d found his John.
“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,” Butel explained. “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.”
“When I watched Michael in Jesus Christ Superstar, his voice and performance took my breath away. During our audition process, it’s been a joy watching Michael unlock a warmth and charm and wit that is spookily Farnham-like as well.”
Michael Cassel (of the Michael Cassel Group, which has presented Hamilton and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) concluded that everyone involved in the Whispering Jack musical had an “enormous responsibility” to choose the right performer to portray John Farnham.
“When Michael Paynter auditioned, his extraordinary vocal ability and emotional connection to the material immediately set him apart,” Cassel said. “There was a palpable sense of excitement in the room, and it was clear we were witnessing something exceptional.”
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