Harbridge performs Chrissy’s songs not as a mimic, but as an artist who adores her subject, and who is grateful for the chance to share her with audiences. Her voice reflects Chrissy’s deep throatiness; the grit, the roar, the wrath. It’s a master class in eulogy.
Alethea Mouhtouris
4.5 Stars
Venue: Belvoir UpStairs
Sydney
Dates: Until February 8th 2026
Amplified is more than a love letter to music icon and original Aussie bad girl, Chrissy Amphlett – it’s a master thesis woven from facts, songs, and anecdotal stories, bringing Chrissy into the present.
Written and performed by the uber talented Sheridan Harbridge, this 80-minute show honours the Divinyl’s frontwoman’s fierceness and drive in carving out a niche for herself at a time when men ruled the music industry and dominated the pubs where she started her career.
Amplified brings to life many elements of the 80s but, in particular, it reminds us how singularly spectacular that time was for Australian music. From The Divinyls to INXS, Men At Work, and AC/DC, we dominated the airwaves not only locally, but across the world.
It’s easy to forget that, back then, pubs and nightclubs were full and vibrant – live music was constant – and people could see up-and-coming bands for free or a small cover charge at their local.
Between songs, Harbridge weaves a narrative of this “disobedient woman” with tales about her traumatised childhood – a roaring WWII alcoholic veteran for a father and a passive mother who quietly retaliated by feeding him dog food for dinner; girls at school; the older surfer dudes who used and abused Chrissy. The abuse from slimy industry execs who, in this current time, would be facing sexual harassment charges. The vile vitriol from male audiences, and the bottles thrown at her during performances which made her realise the only way forward was through.
Harbridge shows how Chrissy and her writing partner Mark McEntee harnessed these traumas into a rage-filled sex-rampant force, a monster. Harbridge’s rendition of ‘Boys in Town’ … “get me out of here…” reflects Chrissy’s desperation to escape her home town of Geelong, and all the ugliness of the men who used her.
Harbridge performs Chrissy’s songs not as a mimic, but as an artist who adores her subject, and who is grateful for the chance to share her with audiences. Her voice reflects Chrissy’s deep throatiness; the grit, the roar, the wrath. It’s a master class in eulogy. As she says, “Everyone remembers the first time they saw Chrissy Amphlett.”
Amplified was co-created by Harbridge, director Sarah Goodness, and musical director Glenn Moorhouse. Harbridge is very naughty, funny, raucous, and wild – much like Amphlett herself. Be prepared for the unexpected from Harbridge, who pinched an audience member’s purse and sat on a few gentlemen’s laps. As she was about to launch into a brief rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” (Chrissy played Judy Garland in The Boy From Oz), someone’s phone alarm went off and without a pause, she spun on her heel and hurled abuse – “turn that f****** mobile off”, to the audience’s amusement. It was a visceral response, and Chrissy would have undoubtedly applauded.
There was a palpable sense of goodwill for this show – toes were tapping, heads were nodding – and there were two well-deserved standing ovations for Harbridge and the phenomenal four-piece live band. Unsurprisingly, “I Touch Myself” and “Pleasure and Pain” got the biggest cheers.
The team has captured the essence of the 80s and creates a longing for those days with raw and authentic creative spaces. As Harbridge says, “When Chrissy went on stage, no one knew what was going to happen…including Chrissy.”
Kudos to the lighting designer Paul Jackson for a superb job. At times the stage was cast in smoky blue lighting reminiscent of pubs and clubs, and at others, bright Hollywood lights capture the glamour of large-scale performances.
As a ‘good girl’ in the 80s, I was not permitted to listen to The Divinyls, let alone watch music TV show Rage. I was delighted to discover her four decades on, and to recognise the immense talent of this Aussie disobedient woman.
4.5 roars
Alethea Mouhtouris, Theatre Now
