Theatre / “Choose Your Own Adventure”, by Queenie van de Zandt. At Tuggeranong Arts Centre, August 27. Reviewed by JOHN LOMBARD.

WITH more than 30 years of experience in musical theatre and cabaret, esteemed Australian performer Queenie Van de Zandt has generous material for a career retrospective.

“Choose Your Own Adventure” offers comedy, anecdotes, songs and trivia inspired by Van de Zandt’s life and repertoire, with the twist that the audience can use their phones to vote on the acts she performs.

Van de Zandt deployed her candid, friendly and self-deprecatory style to introduce the voting process with easy choices like her earrings and drink, setting the stage for tougher calls, such as whether we wanted to hear a medley of 30 musical theatre songs or Aussie rock songs.

Van de Zandt delivered each act with her customary panache and virtuosity. Part of the fun of choosing the next act was the tease of content that the audience would miss out on, especially on choices where the audience was split. Some of the most exciting moments of the night came when the audience poll was close and the outcome uncertain.

With Van de Zandt referring to notes on a laptop and repurposing content from existing shows such as her Joni Mitchell tribute, the show had the experimental energy of a workshop, but Van de Zandt’s good humour and a decent variety of acts ensured the night zipped by.

Unlike the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books the show is based on, the choices were self-contained, and did not have consequences or lead to any of the dire but fun outcomes the genre is famous for. The show established the potential of the gimmick, but now that the format has been tested more can be done to tap its possibilities.

Accompanist Robyn Womersely, an old friend of Van de Zandt, gave seamless support on the piano despite the unpredictable format.

This light and lively entertainment is more gameshow than biography, but Van de Zandt’s considerable talent and charm ensured that this rough-and-ready performance was entertaining, with the audience satisfied but eager for more.