Peter Combe - Bellyflop in a Pizza

Peter Combe - Bellyflop in a Pizza
Presented by Strut & Fret in Association With Merrigong Theatre Company. 18 April 2017 (As part of Spiegeltent 7 – 30 April 2017)

Entertaining three generations of audiences across 34 years, children’s song writer Peter Combe was just one of the many performers at the inaugural Spiegeltent season in Wollongong.

Peter’s show featured a mix of songs from his new album Live It Up! and the well-known favourites including Wash Your Face in Orange Juice (Mr Clicketty Cane), Newspaper Mama, Juicy Juicy Green Grass and Spaghetti Bolognaise. A number of his songs are also well known fairy tales that he has cleverly set to music - one of the few Australian artists to do this.

What is refreshing, is this show is simply Peter on stage singing with an acoustic guitar and an accompanying keyboardist. There are no bells and whistles. Peter’s voice, narrative style and Aussie humour are what keep the audience (young and old) entertained.

I took my two children (four and seven) to the show. While my generation has grown up with Peter’s music in the 80s and know him as an Australian icon, my kids aren’t as familiar with his music.

I had been singing Wash Your Face in Orange Juice to the kids, so my four year old kept asking when Mr Clicketty Cane was coming on. He got a little restless waiting for his favourite tune (the last number) and his very honest comment to me was that the show was “boring and funny”. I was secretly impressed that we were the 3,999th audience to sing this song!

I wondered if my seven year old would find the show a little young, but she loved it and told me it was “funny, entertaining, good and addictive”. I had to prod to find out what she meant by “addictive” but she said it was hard to take her eyes off Peter and she liked his facial expressions.

While the younger kids liked the music, it was the adults who seemed to enjoy the show the most. There were a couple of mums in their late 20s/early 30s sitting behind me who got excited every time they recognised a song and would start singing!

One thing is certain, Peter’s songs are irresistibly catchy and I have not been able to get them out of my head!

Running for three weeks from 7 to 30 April, Spiegeltent has an impressive program of comedy, cabaret, burlesque, music, theatre and family fun. The line-up includes both home grown and international artists.

All performances take place in the Spiegeltent (Dutch for ‘mirror tent’) a pop-up venue located in Wollongong’s Arts precinct. I loved the idea of the tent and the intimate experience it offers the audience, however at 3pm on a 25 degree day it was hot and stuffy in there. I can imagine it would have a fantastic night time atmosphere though.

If you are keen to check Spiegeltent out, there are a number of acts still to come with Dave Hughes, Wil Anderson, Rove McManus, Felix Rieble from The Cat Empire, Velvet – the internationally acclaimed Discotheque Circus and more!

Review by Shannon O’Connell

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