THE TABLE OF KNOWLEDGE

Back in 2008 it was the most famous table in the country. White and plastic, outside a kebab shop in downtown Wollongong, where a group of powerful men met to plot. Dubbed “The Table of Knowledge”, it spawned a corruption scandal that engulfed and eventually led to the sacking of the Wollongong Council.

Based almost verbatim on the ICAC transcripts, The Table of Knowledge unravels sexual obsession, envelopes full of cash and how the personal invariably effects the political. If that sounds dry and tawdry, then there is real tragedy and sympathy to be found in the characters, making it much more rich and emotional than just a silly sex scandal. The hilarity is magnified by the fact that it all really did happen – a scriptwriter would struggle to come up with something like this.

If it happened in the Gong – your city could be next. (GW)

July 10-13, Riverside Theatre, Church St & Market St, Parramatta, $47, riversideparramatta.com.au; July 16-21, Glen St Theatre, Glen St & Blackbutts Rd, Belrose, $30-70, glenstreet.com.au