Chrissy Amphlett’s rock and rage return to Melbourne stage

One of Australia’s most electrifying music stories is set to roar back to Melbourne next month, with Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett playing a strictly limited season at the Comedy Theatre from March 19 to 22

The production, channelling the fierce spirit and unforgettable songs of the late Divinyls frontwoman, will play just five shows in the CBD before moving on – offering audiences a chance to see the acclaimed tribute following sell-out seasons interstate.

Fronted by performer and co-creator Sheridan Harbridge, Amplified traces the rise of Chrissy Amphlett from suburban pub stages to international stardom. Harbridge said she felt compelled to revisit Amphlett’s legacy after her death in 2013.

I felt really strongly that we hadn’t had a chance to reflect back on such a powerful, unique and electrically charged artist,” she told CBD News. “I did feel that I was at a point in my career where I had the capacity as a performer and a writer, to try and articulate what exactly was that electricity that she had.

Known for her audacious stage presence – often in a school uniform – Amphlett burst onto a male-dominated scene with raw talent, a distinctive rock rasp and a fearless blend of sexuality and vulnerability that reshaped Australian rock. For Harbridge, the challenge was not imitation but immersion.

“From the very top, we knew to do an imitation would be just a waste of everyone’s time,” she said. “It’s not about imitating Chrissy on stage, it’s about conjuring the whole decade and the whole art form.”

The show features Harbridge backed by a raucous four-piece band led by musical director Glenn Moorhouse, whose credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Together, they recreate the power and volatility of Amphlett’s stage presence while weaving in stories that explore the woman behind the icon.

Photo: Brett Boardman.

Harbridge said performing with a live band reshaped her storytelling approach.

“One of the great things we’ve done is let the songs do so much of the work for us,” she said. “Let Chrissy’s own lyrics, Mark McEntee’s music, do the storytelling, and say less. She said so much in her music.”

Directed and co-created by Sarah Goodes, the production draws inspiration from a one-woman show Amphlett had been developing before her passing. Harbridge described that knowledge as both a responsibility and a gift.

“We didn’t get Chrissy’s third act,” she said. “I felt responsible to explore what she would have wanted out of this show … but also like I could give a gift back to it, by going really far and hard with the questions the show could ask.”

Goodes has said, “no-one can be Chrissy.” Harbridge agrees, explaining that her approach was to begin “inside out”: “The best thing you can do is start inside out, instead of outside in,” she said. “You’re just giving the audience enough to go, ‘Oh God, I think I saw her just then.’”

The show premiered in Melbourne in June 2025 before heading to Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre for a five-star, sell-out season. It has since played in Ballarat and Geelong – Amphlett’s hometown – earning glowing reviews along the way. Harbridge said bringing the show back to Melbourne carried particular resonance.

“Melbourne in the band era, was a hot bed of art and live music,” she said. “I hope they sit in the theatre and hear the sound of us and revel in the glory.”

More than just a jukebox musical, Amplified delves into the cultural and personal impact of Amphlett’s work, exploring how she challenged expectations of women in rock and became a voice for a generation.Fmarr

“I feel really honoured to stand on the shoulders of women like Chrissy,” Harbridge said. “I am the product on stage in 2026. I am the product of the trail that Chrissy blazed.”

Living inside Amphlett’s world has also sharpened her own artistic instincts. “It’s made me want to be a much riskier, much more disobedient woman.”

Developed by Jacaranda Productions and UMAC, with support from Geelong Arts Centre, the Comedy Theatre season is presented by Marriner Group and will play at the Comedy Theatre from 19 – 22 March. Tickets via Ticketek. •

Hero photo: Laura Du Vé.