LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Here is John Clarke and Brian Dawe.

BRYAN DAWE: Well thankyou for coming in.

JOHN CLARKE: Lovely to see you. Good to be here.

BRYAN DAWE: You're with the Federal Theatre Company in Canberra, aren't you?

JOHN CLARKE: In Canberra, certainly am, yes.

BRYAN DAWE: And you're about to launch this huge new show called Carbon Tax?

JOHN CLARKE: We are, yes, which is gonna be huge.

BRYAN DAWE: And you're all prepared?

JOHN CLARKE: Hope so, Bryan, yes, it's all sold out. It's gonna be bigger than Texas.

BRYAN DAWE: I'll tell you what, the posters look great, great.

JOHN CLARKE: The posters are superb.

BRYAN DAWE: I mean, "Carbon Tax: the musical you can't afford." Fabulous.

JOHN CLARKE: "Can't afford to miss," it should say. Doesn't it say "to miss"?

BRYAN DAWE: Sorry? Oh, "Can't afford to miss," yes, sorry.

JOHN CLARKE: The musical you can't afford to miss, it should say, yes.

BRYAN DAWE: There's another line at the bottom. When is the premiere again?

JOHN CLARKE: Sunday we go up. Yes, looking forward to it.

BRYAN DAWE: Terrific. And a little birdie told me that you're still finalising the script.

JOHN CLARKE: Well it comes out of a workshop process, Bryan. There are about 300 writers, so you do expect some fiddling.

BRYAN DAWE: Sure. Yeah, and it's a family show, isn't it?

JOHN CLARKE: Oh, yes, we don't work blue.

BRYAN DAWE: Nah, but you work a bitta green?

JOHN CLARKE: We do work green, yes.

BRYAN DAWE: And quite a lotta brown.

JOHN CLARKE: That's reciprocal. Brown works us, we work brown.

BRYAN DAWE: Mmm. And have you had a dress rehearsal yet?

JOHN CLARKE: Yes, that went well. Did a tech run yesterday.

BRYAN DAWE: And I understand you're putting it on the road after Canberra, aren't you?

JOHN CLARKE: We're going everywhere. We're going absolutely everywhere with this show.

BRYAN DAWE: Now let's talk about the cast, who's in it. Julia ...

JOHN CLARKE: Well, Julia. Yeah, Julia Gillard plays the lead.

BRYAN DAWE: Is the lead, yeah.

JOHN CLARKE: Wayne, lovely boy from Brissie, ...

BRYAN DAWE: Brissie, Wayne Swan, yeah, yeah.

JOHN CLARKE: ... he's in it.

BRYAN DAWE: Bobby Brown?

JOHN CLARKE: Bobby's in it. Penny Wong's in it, Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor. They close the first half. Let me tell you, have you seen that thing they do with their hats?

BRYAN DAWE: No, I've heard about it though. Is it good?

JOHN CLARKE: They do a thing with their hats. It's fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

BRYAN DAWE: Yeah. Julie Bishop of course ...

JOHN CLARKE: She's doing hair and makeup.

BRYAN DAWE: Make up. But Tony Abbott's not in this?

JOHN CLARKE: Tony Abbott's not in it but he will be reviewing it.

BRYAN DAWE: Right? Who for?

JOHN CLARKE: For the Flat Earther Monthly.

BRYAN DAWE: Right. He is good.

JOHN CLARKE: He writes well.

BRYAN DAWE: He does. Now what about Barnaby?

JOHN CLARKE: Barnaby's in it. Kids are gonna love Barnaby, let me tell you.

BRYAN DAWE: Really? I heard on PM tonight that he's not gonna be in it.

JOHN CLARKE: No, he's just teasing. He's gonna be in it. He's got these exploding pants.

BRYAN DAWE: Exploding pants? Really?

JOHN CLARKE: He comes halfway through the second half, it's a country number, his pants explode. There won't be a dry seat in the house.

BRYAN DAWE: Hilarious.

JOHN CLARKE: Kids are gonna adore him.

BRYAN DAWE: And of course it's based on a real story, this, isn't it?

JOHN CLARKE: It is, it's based on a book by one of the Marx Brothers.

BRYAN DAWE: Groucho, was it?

JOHN CLARKE: No, the other one.

BRYAN DAWE: Chicko, Zippo?

JOHN CLARKE: No, no, the other one.

BRYAN DAWE: Harpo?

JOHN CLARKE: Garnaut.

BRYAN DAWE: Garnaut. Garnaut.

JOHN CLARKE: Garnaut Marx, yeah, the one with the chickens.

BRYAN DAWE: Yeah, well it all sound great.

JOHN CLARKE: It's gonna be brilliant, yeah.

BRYAN DAWE: What does it cost?

JOHN CLARKE: Well, it costs what you pay for the ticket and then you go in?

BRYAN DAWE: Yeah, but hang on, what is the cost?

JOHN CLARKE: Well, hang on, I'm trying to explain that to you. It costs what you pay for the ticket, you go in, you see the show, you bring your ticket back and they hand your ticket in, you get a refund.

BRYAN DAWE: Sorry, you get your money back?

JOHN CLARKE: Get you money back, yeah.

BRYAN DAWE: So it's free?

JOHN CLARKE: No, it's not free; you have to buy a ticket.