Illawarra Performing Arts Centre

September 16-20

Tickets here

When Douglas Hansell got the call inviting him to join the beloved Wharf Revue team, his response was an overwhelming, resounding "yes".

"I just remember being like 'f--k yeah'," he laughed.

"It's hard not to be attracted to a project like this, it was never even a question."

The self-confessed "political animal" replaces Drew Forsythe in this year's revue, playing immigration minister Scott Morrison and a host of other characters for audiences across the country.

Hansell said the writing team struggled to craft the 2014 production, finding it hard to move past the raft of "bad news" stories coming out of the federal government.

"There hasn't been much good news to talk about so the humour is different this year," he said.

"There's not as much of that uplifting, positive humour, it's a little bit more cutting and real.

"I think people are really disillusioned - they thought they'd gotten over six years of turmoil [with the past government] and now they're in this ideological basket of nastiness.

"The show aims to offer some respite from that never-ending succession of bad news stories in a really funny way; I think it's the best revue yet."

Feeling a bit "new kid on the block", Hansell said he was a little intimidated coming into the well-established team that is the Wharf Revue but immediately felt like he was at home.

"[Fellow performer] Amanda Bishop said to me pretty early on, 'I think you've found your spiritual home' and she's right, it just feels like a really good fit," he said.

"It was awe-inspiring to join the show because it is so loved but I'd done comedy before and I'd trained as a musician before I was an actor so I knew I had something to offer. I feel like I've found my own place in the dynamic now and put my own stamp on it."

The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts graduate will stay with the show until Christmas and promises audiences, including non-political bods, a laugh-filled night out.

"I think there is a general appeal," he said.

"Australians have a great ability to laugh at anything or anyone in authority and we've well and truly catered for that. It's the type of show that my dad, who isn't really interested in politics, would come along to and enjoy.

"He's been to see my other shows, more straight plays, and he always says 'oh, that was nice' but I know with this, he'll come out and say 'that was f--king awesome'."