30 Something

30 Something

Written and Performed by Phil Scott and Catherine Acorn

Reviewed at Paddington RSL

Reviewed by Ron Lee, CSP

In Club Corona in Kings Cross on New Year’s Eve, 1939, ten years after The Great Depression, everyone is looking forward to the 1940s being a decade of prosperity and new beginnings while not losing awareness of the tough times.

Pianist/Musical Director Phil Scott, singer Catherine Alcorn and their band perform "Puttin' On The Ritz", "Your Feet's Too Big", "Boogle Woogie Bugle Boy", "Minnie The Moocher", "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?", "Thanks For The Memories" and other songs of the era. Scott’s renowned musical abilities have also repurposed a few more modern songs to fit the genre.

Alcorn’s powerful voice is a delight, and the band that consists of a piano, trumpet, double bass and drums is enough to support her.

For decades, Phil Scott been a valuable and popular part of Australian theatre. I first met him, Jonathan Biggins and Drew Forsythe around thirty years ago at The Tilbury when they did Three Men and a Baby Grand, the precursor to The Wharf Revues which have a cult following. It would be fantastic to have a Tilbury-style venue to showcase new talent and to stage new shows for intimate audiences and a Kinsela’s type of cabaret room for larger shows. Claire's Kitchen has filled part of that void.

30 Something delivers some clever, topical humour from a 1939 perspective and also some comedy that I would put in the “Jokes Written by Musos” category.

There’s a “Name That Tune” bit in which the person who answers first is invited onto the stage to sing it. The enthusiastic winners sang the Aeroplane Jelly Song and We’re Happy Little Vegemites, and they didn’t mind at all. One almost needed a hook to get her off.

It’s pleasing that 30 Something is touring to make it accessible to everyone who wants to go out and see an eminently enjoyable, fun and entertaining show. It looks like they mostly play one night at each venue, so it would be worth your while to check the dates.