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The eyes have it in night of politics and song

John Shortis, Karen Middleton and Moya Simpson Photo: Elizabeth Hawkes.

Musical theatre / “Under the influence“ Shortis and Simpson with guest Karen Middleton. At Smiths Alternative, April 1. Reviewed by HELEN MUSA.

SATIRICAL cabaret Duo Shortis and Simpson have hit on a winning formula in their series “Under The Influence”, where they invite notable guests to join them in piecing together highlights from their musical and life history.

In November, I saw the first iteration where the guest was former Seekers member, Keith Potger. Last night, in two packed sessions at Smith’s Alternative, the satirical duo were joined by political journalist Karen Middleton.

In their preparations, the three of them had found some remarkable coincidences. Middleton was at the first WOMADelaide, for instance, where Shortis and Simpson were performing, and all of them had been at Leonard Cohen‘s concert in Bowral years later.

But there was more to come. With one of them brought up Catholic, one Protestant and one atheist, the field was wide open for a hymn. Here the Protestants won out, but with the atheist singing.

Serendipitously, it emerged that Middleton, as well as being one of Australia’s best-known political journalists, loves stage musicals, and can really sing, so the Bob Hawke song, “My Right-Hand Man,” from “Keating the Musical” was a natural choice.

There followed some “straight” songs from musicals, such as Rizzo’s song “There are Worse Things I Could Do” from “Grease”, some from Abba and a number from the Bay City Rollers, accompanied by chit-chat about tartan stripes, to much audience appreciation.

But most of the chosen numbers had a political edge and one of the high points was an anthem sung to “John Brown’s Body” about sending politicians marching on.

Without doubt the most moving part of the evening concern Middleton‘s long-held sympathy for refugees, born from her own family’s support of refugees from Vietnam and Bosnia, but later cemented when she went on three tours of duty as embedded journalist in Afghanistan.

When she sang, clear as a bell, Fred Smith’s “The Sapper’s Lullaby,” there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Miraculously, from the audience, three members of the House Howlers (the political journos’ choir that sang for years at the Midwinter Ball) took to the stage to join the trio for some revisionist versions of famous songs.

At the end of the evening as well as mentioning that the show would be reprised in Braidwood in late June (no booking details yet) Shortis announced that their next guest would be Canberra blues legend Dorothy-Jane “DJ” Gosper.

 

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Helen Musa

Helen Musa

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