Reluctant satirist ready to talk it out

SO much of life is about timing and for writer, composer, musician and performer Casey Bennetto.

In fact, timing is one of the most important aspects of his work.

Bennetto is known for writing and composing the musical Keating! which in 2007 won the Helpmann Award for Best Musical and Best Original Score.

“It all came as a great surprise to me,” Bennetto said. “I wrote Keating! early in 2005 after reading Don Watson’s book Recollections of a Bleeding Heart.

“There was so much material in Keating’s political life to work on, the rhythms of events, the colourful characters, the great turns of phrase, that it seemed a natural fit for a silly musical adaptation.”

Yet Bennetto is reluctant to describe himself as a satirist.

“I think to be a true satirist you have to be willing to get dark, to twist the knife,” he said. “Satire should be uncomfortable for the audience, it shouldn’t let them off the hook.

“I’m drawn to the more joyful and ridiculous stuff, but I’ve got a great deal of respect for those who attempt to thread that needle, especially nowadays.”

For Bennetto, the structures between music and comedy are similar.

“They’re both essentially about tension and release,” he said. “As often as not, a song verse brings us a kind of suspense, and the chorus delivers relief and joy, just as a joke setup is drawn towards the punchline.”

As part of CresFest 2023 Casey Bennetto is taking part in the Court House Conversations series on 1 April.

A new initiative for this year’s festival Bennetto will be taking with local author Cate Kennedy.

“What better time to talk about these things than April Fool’s Day?,” he said. “I’ll be there with bells on.”

For tickets and the full CresFest 2023 program visit cresfest.com.au.

– BY FIONA WATSON