I think that I almost certainly built this up too much in my mind beforehand, but it was still great. The best thing about it is the performance put in by Mike McLeish as Keating himself - the manic energy and posturing reminded me a little of Gob but with real charisma and, it seemed, genuine insight into his subject. Favourite songs probably the "the beginning is the end" one ("Gareth tell me more"), the "ruler of the land" reggae numbers, the Mabo bossa nova [?] and, of course, the Evans/Kernot love duet. Satisfying to have clear heroes (well, one hero really) to cheer and risible villains to hiss. Was glad of the way it ended, too - would've been a bit of a downer (pun unintended) without the closing rewriting of history (which also, of course, focuses all of our minds on the 'if only/what could have been?' question). All up, very pleasing!
(w/ Mehnaz, last Sunday afternoon following not one but two previous failed attempts on our parts to see it, tix having been sold out on both of those earlier occasions)
