JUST IN: John Farnham musical Whispering Jack headlines Sydney Theatre Company’s 2026 season.
JUST IN: John Farnham musical Whispering Jack headlines Sydney Theatre Company’s 2026 season.
With Whispering Jack, Farnham became a homegrown superstar. The Sony Music release spent 25 weeks at No. 1, en route to shifting more than one million copies, becoming the first domestic LP to do so. It remains the highest-selling album ever in Australia by a local talent.
Powering Whispering Jack is Farnham’s signature song, “You’re The Voice,” a top 10 hit in the U.K. and, four decades on, the unofficial anthem of Australia.
The musical is written by Jack Yabsley, directed by Mitchell Butel, and will be soundtracked by Farnham’s greatest hits alongside classics of the era.
“Musicals have always held a very special place in my heart as it’s where I met Jill,” Farnham comments in a statement. “To see this part of my story brought to life on stage is an adventure that might just require you strapping on your seatbelt! For me it has always been about the songs. From ‘Sadie’ to ‘You’re the Voice,’ I am forever grateful for both these songs and the people who connect with my music.”
Those quotes, although delivered by email, will feel like some relief for Farnham’s many fans. The legendary, ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted singer faced his toughest comeback yet, when he underwent major surgery to remove a cancerous growth in August 2022. Since then, he has made only a handful of rare public appearances, and last October was heard for the first time in more than two years in an audiobook excerpt for his memoir.
