This whiff of London East End vaudeville combined with blues and ragtime piano-playing craftsmanship recreates the entertainment of yesteryear, and as such was well suited to the heritage surrounds of the Fremantle Town Hall.
The grand piano is played by like an old lover by Pete Saunders, one-time keys player for Dexy's Midnight Runners, who sings some unexpected covers mixed with comedic originals such as My Life Is Miserable, introduced as an antidote to the Aussie habit of having no worries, which is "only ok for a few days". The burlesque bit is done slapstick by the show's supposed stage manager, as a running gaffe that includes mostly clowning with the audience, particularly the bearded types in Nothing Is As Cute As A Man Who Is Hirsute. Playing on the audience expectation that nipple tassels will swing one way or the other, they are left to the end of the show and supplied by a surprise Fringe artist guest appearance.
