The 40th anniversary of Australia’s biggest selling local album of all time will be marked by the Sydney Theatre Company’s premiere of Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical in November next year.
Directed by Mitchell Butel, also in his first year as STC’s artistic director, Whispering Jack promises to tell the story of “five extraordinary years that redefined Farnham’s career, from a broke former teen idol to the voice of a nation”.
Released in September 1986 and boasting hits such as You’re The Voice, Pressure Down and A Touch Of Paradise, Whispering Jack spent 25 weeks at No.1 in Australia and sold more than 1.7 million copies locally, today behind only Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell and Shania Twain’s Come On Over.
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Auditions are already under way for the role of Farnham, and the musical promises to showcase his greatest hits along with other songs from the era, from “power ballads to pop anthems”.
“For me it has always been about the songs,” Farnham said in a statement. “From Sadie to You’re the Voice, I am forever grateful for both these songs and the people who connect with my music.
“Musicals have always held a very special place in my heart as it’s where I met Jill,” he added, referring to his wife who he met in the early 1970s while working on the play Charlie Girl.
Produced by Gaynor Wheatley, wife of Farnham’s longtime manager Glenn, and Michael Cassel, the musical explores “the personal and creative stakes” behind the making of the landmark album.
“Glenn believed in John when others didn’t, and together with Jill, we risked everything to make it happen,” Gaynor said. “To now see that story come alive on stage, with all of its heart, humour, and grit is deeply personal and incredibly exciting.”
Wheatley, who died with COVID-19 in 2022, famously mortgaged his house to finance the Whispering Jack album at a time when Farnham’s star had long waned since the days when 1960s hits such as Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) and Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head saw him crowned Australia’s King of Pop.
Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical is one of three world premieres unveiled as part of the Sydney Theatre Company’s 2026 program, revealed on Monday. Butel has pulled off another impressive coup with Sydney to be the first city outside of New York to stage the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Purpose.
Tickets will be available as part of STC’s 2026 season subscription packages, which go on sale in coming weeks with single ticket onsale details to be advised at a later date.
Farnham, 76, battled throat cancer in recent years, undergoing a 12-hour surgery in 2022 to remove a tumour from his mouth and reconstruct his jaw. He has since been given the all-clear.
“He is doing good,” Farnham’s son Rob told Sunrise last month.
“You know, it’s like anyone, you go through such a dramatic surgery, particularly on your face, it is going to affect you. I think he’s resilient. He’s strong.”
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