Peter Combe returns to showcase his new album as well as enduring classics
Presented by: Peter Combe Music P/L
Reviewed: 9 March, 2024
South Australian children’s music icon, Peter Combe, returns to the Adelaide Fringe once again. His shows are a staple of many a Fringe diet, with adults and children alike returning year after year. It’s easy to see why; not only are songs such as Newspaper Mama and Mr Clickety Cane the songs that shaped a generation of Australians, but Peter’s gently-spoken manner and the warmth he exudes on stage make his shows enduring and accessible for all ages.
Peter Combe’s 2024 Fringe show includes a showcase of songs from his 2023 album, Planet Earth 3rd From The Sun. The audience was introduced to brand new songs including Planet Earth 3rd From The Sun, Such a Beautiful Morning, and Some People Do Walk, among others. These new songs show Peter’s skill in writing beautiful melodies as well as his understanding of what makes an enduring kid’s song: an appropriate amount of repetition, call and response, and the age-old musical round.
While several new works were on the menu, audiences were still able to feast on regular favourites such as Jellybean Road, Yellow Banana and Ting Tang Tong, and of course the show couldn’t end without a few of the ultimate Peter Combe classics, including Juicy Juicy Green Grass, Spaghetti Bolognese, Newspaper Mama, and everyone’s favourite Mr Clickety Cane.
As always, Peter was backed by his brilliant keys player, Phil Cunneen, and the talented children from Theatre Bugs. Phil is a seasoned professional and showed off his effortless musicianship, and the kids were brilliant; despite the sweltering day, they kept the energy up throughout the performance, showing true professionalism through their energetic dancing, great vocals and highly fluorescent costumes.
The only thing that was less than brilliant in this production (apart from the air conditioning, but that’s to be expected in a big plastic tent) was the position of Peter’s microphone on the stand, which seemed to be a little too high for him and often didn’t pick up his voice clearly. There were many times when he took the microphone off the stand and held it to sing, and the balance was excellent in these numbers, but it was an issue when Peter was on guitar and using the mic stand. Hopefully they will adjust this for the remainder of the season.
If you attend every year, or if you haven’t heard a Peter Combe song since your own childhood, this show of old favourites and new is definitely worth adding to the list.
Reviewed by Kristin Stefanoff
Venue: The Roundhouse – Garden of Unearthly Delights
Season: until Sun 17 March
Duration: 50 min
Tickets: $30 – $34
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/peter-combe-in-newspaper-mama-every-day-af2024
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