It takes a pretty impressive show to get me out at 10pm on a work night, and Putting the G’Day in Cabaret is the real deal. 

Supposedly a one woman show, it seems instead to be a series of fantastic performances by a range of characters – Joana Simmons herself opens the show with a rollicking opening number before ducking back stage to rouse up a techie. Techie Tate turns up and shows what a true blue Ocker he is, with some serious dancing chops and a winning way with a ladder. 

Tate introduces us to the concept of Putting the G’Day in Cabaret: the song she – oops, I mean he -sings is one of several originals by Carmen O’Brien and Jamie Burgess. It is so clever and funny, the audience are roaring with laughter and I am trying to remember lines to quote you, knowing that with so many great punchlines, letting one slip won’t hurt. But can I? The essence of it is that there are too many girls in bowler hats draped over wooden chairs, and not enough G’Day.    

Well, if what we get for the rest of the show is G’Day, I’m all for it! Tate concedes the stage to a Genuine Diva complete with sexy silver dress, who uses an interesting method of interpreting her song. She gives way to a hipster with more first world problems than a gluten free vegan, and so on.

I don’t want to give away too much as the unfolding of who will happen next, let alone what, is all part of the G’Day! Except to say that the song where Joana describes from the heart what it is like to be a Kiwi living in Melbourne and putting up with the accent jokes is just delicious – Delushus? Deleeshis? Awesome.

This show is dynamic, original, funny, engaging and an absolute joy to watch. Even sound and lighting operator Bella Grigg-Eyley and stage manager Shannon Friday are drawn into the action, wrapping the show around us “like crumbs on a calamari,” to quote Techie Tate. They also do an excellent job of their jobs.

But the real G’Day of this cabaret is Joana Simmons herself – so much talent in one human being, so much life, energy, vocal chops, dancing chops, acting chops – she lights up the stage like the T on Tate’s jacket! I get the feeling that those of us smart enough to catch this show will one day be able to say, “Oh yes, I saw her in 2016 before she was so famous.”

Go on, be one of the lucky ones who gets to see this show. At 50 minutes running time you’ll hardly notice how late you are out on a week night! 

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