Review by Mark Sherry of “Good Bad Cop” Presented by LaunchPad

“Good Bad Cop,” written by Matthew Wethling and Rachel MJ, premiered to raucous laughter and wild applause. It is unlike any theatre you’ve ever seen… deliberately so, because it is intended to both amuse and confuse. Combine absurdist comedy, physical humour, farce, pantomime, improvisation, and add a narrative with unending twists and turns… it’s original and unforgettable.

John (played by Connor Scoble) comes to a police station for a job interview but is mistaken for a suspect in a spate of crimes around Brisbane which have been attributed to “The Chameleon”. It’s not a good start for John. He is on the path to being arrested, jailed, placed in a psychiatric ward, and… being hired as a police officer.

We start to feel sorry for poor John as the mayhem erupts around him.

Rach (played by Rachel MJ) is one of the officers interrogating John. Her amazing physical comedy skills were always evident, including when she and Liam Burge mirrored each other’s movements – a scene which was incredibly well lit by Matthew Wethling (the director, producer and tech).

Rachel MJ also makes great use of visual comedy when she plays the role of a judge.

Liam Burge has a wonderful stage presence and great comedic timing. His performance is done in the style of a traditional pantomime, where he presents as a man with too much lipstick, a makeshift dress, fish-net stockings and exaggerated effeminate mannerisms.

The part of Liam is well acted, well written, and very funny.

Jarod Johnson has been perfectly case as Chief of Police. His physique, moustache, sideburns and sunglasses (as well as his acting) make the role come alive.

One of the funniest moments of the show was a case of mistaken identity where the blind Chief of Police thinks he has found his long-lost love but instead kisses someone else.

Symbolic props (such as a cardboard car embellished with giant dice) exaggerated the absurdist comedy.

This is not a show that takes itself too seriously. Scenes which were about to be improvised were announced beforehand to remind the audience they are in on the joke.

In one of the improvised scenes, Connor Scoble was fighting back laughter… which made it even funnier for the audience.

Reviewers often criticize the shows they see, but this play is a reminder that sometimes we don’t need to overthink things, we just need to laugh at life’s absurdities.

This is a review of Opening Night on the 14th of May 2026.