It was bound to happen, and it has.

Jonathan Biggins' portrayal of the love-him-or-hate-him Paul Keating is always a hit when it turns up in the annual political satire The Wharf Revue. And whatever your opinion of Keating, he left a big mark on Australia as treasurer and prime minister and continues to spark controversy and garner attention to this day with his firmly expressed opinions, wit and personality.

But a segment in The Wharf Revue has proven to be too small a vehicle to contain Biggins's Keating. Hence, the inevitable: he has his own one-man show, The Gospel According to Paul.

Set in a replica of Keating's office, it gives the man, or Biggins's version of him at least, the opportunity to tell his story, voice his opinions about people, events and ideas past and present and exercise his not inconsiderable ego - all through Biggins' words crafted in the manner of his subject.

"Gerry Connolly used to do a Keating impersonation," Biggins says.

"I gave it a bit of a go in revues and did it in the series At Home With Julia."

"I've long toyed with the idea of doing a longer-form show of Paul Keating," Biggins says.

"I like the idea of theatrical biography - you don't often see it."

To do such a show successfully, he says, "You need a larger than life figure - Keating is certainly that."

But, he says, "It's not a love poem to Mr Keating as Keating! the Musical is."

While Keating's biting wit and lofty rhetoric are evoked in the 75-minute distillation of Keating's essence and help him to form a relationship with his audience, Biggins also wants to capture the more reflective side of the man and his early influences, life milestones, career achievements and obsessions.

There's certainly no shortage of potential material. Keating, who grew up in Bankstown in Sydney, left school at the age of 14. He joined the ALP and among other jobs worked as a union research assistant.

In 1966 he became president of NSW Young Labor and was influenced by former NSW premier Jack Lang, among others. Endorsed by the party for the seat of Blaxland, he won it in 1969 at the age of 25.

His first portfolio was minister for Northern Australia in 1975 before the Whitlam government dismissal and he had a variety of shadow ministries in opposition before becoming treasurer in 1983 when Labor won government again with Bob Hawke as prime minister.

The government undertook many economic reforms - for which Keating would claim most, if not all, of the credit - and saw growth but also weathered the early 1990s "recession we had to have", as Keating put it.

In 1991, after rising tensions between Keating and Hawke (who had said he would step down so Keating could take place but had not done so), Keating went to the bankbench and ousted Hawke on his second attempt.

Keating had a "big picture" international ambition for Australia including increased ties with Asia and the country becoming a republic. Among other things, his government introduced a national superannuation scheme and mandatory detention for asylum seekers.

Although the Keating government won what was thought to be an unwinnable election in 1993, it lost in 1996 to the Coalition opposition led by John Howard.

And that only scratches the surface: there is much more potential material.

Speaking of material, one thing that will not feature in the show is a Zegna suit, as favoured by Keating,

"I can't afford $1000," Biggins says.

Keating's love of classical music, including the works of Gustav Mahler is well known, but Biggins says the man isn't averse to a spot of pop, either.

"He thinks Tom Jones is the greatest single artist of his lifetime."

Appropriately, then, there will be a Wharf Revue-like number set to the tune of Jones's hit Delilah as well as an economic reform song to the tune of Puttin' on the Ritz and a Keating-tailored version of the Frank Sinatra number That's Life.

Although Keating would loathe the thought, Biggins likens him to another former prime minister, John Howard, saying both are leaders "who did what they set out to do".

Biggins's Keating contrasts these so-called conviction politicians with some of their (numerous) successors, who have often seemed beholden to polling rather than any kind of principles. He does wonder, though, how Keating would have fared in the age of social media.

Keating has seen Biggins's impersonation of him in The Wharf Revue.

"He came and saw the last one," Biggins says.

"He stayed and chatted for an hour or so.

"I think all is forgiven."

Whether that's still the case after this new show remains to be seen.