Herald Sun review: Whiteley's Incredible Blue

Review by Kate Herbert for The Herald Sun, October 14. See it in it’s original context here.

BRETT Whiteley, one of Australia’s great painters, was a tortured artist – a self-indulgent, free spirit and heroin addict.

In Barry Dickins’ play, Whiteley’s Incredible Blue, we join a shambolic Whiteley in purgatory – or is it limbo?

A charismatic Neil Pigot – poignantly channelling Whiteley’s body and spirit – bears an uncanny resemblance to the artist, right down to his mop of unruly hair.

Dickins’ distinctive, poetic script is rendered truly memorable by Pigot’s nuanced, chameleon-like performance.

And although we witness the crazed, creative genius of Whiteley, the highlights are his tender moments as a lost soul, starved for love and disconnected from his wife and daughter.

Julian Meyrick’s deft direction places Pigot on a beautifully lit and designed stage with an atmospheric, live jazz soundscape that all combine to create a magical trip into Whiteley’s mind.

Star rating: ****