★★★★★

Adelaide Fringe. Peter Goers. The Arch, Holden Street Theatres. 22 Feb 2025

 

He’s been doing it so long, he’s now an institution at the Adelaide Fringe. That’s a singularly quirky irony in a festival which is all about youth, experimentation, and cutting edges. Then again, Goers has cut the edge of tradition. His routine is now a routine. 

 

But not a repetitious routine.

 

Somehow, from the edges of an elephantine memory and assiduously maintained diaries and notebooks, he can always come up with new old stuff with a canny eye on older audiences.

 

This show, with its epically catchy name, is his best and freshest yet.

 

This is not “arguably” so. This critic has seen and reviewed ‘em all. She’s a peerless authority.

 

Why is this one different? Well, it is more of a revue. It has three parts. The first is DeGoers Degustation, a stream of anecdotal and observational patter. Giggles and guffaws territory.

 

And, of course, he always looks schmick. He believes adamantly that performers should respect their audiences by dressing for the occasion, so he dons wild orange sneakers and a sleek and flattering pastel yellow jacket.

 

He’s into death notices these days. It’s a new source of radio shtick. Archival showbiz records are a standard. And his own interactions with the world. 

 

This is where the brand-new material comes in. He has two closest buddies with whom he shares a Sunday arvo social hour or three. Now, the world gets to meet those buddies and discover why Goers loves them. He’s devised a cleverly crafted sketch which could be called "Three men and a box of Cheezels." It features Robin “Schmacka” Schmelzkopf, sometimes known as “the singing milkman” and Jonny Holds, who is also Goers’ long-term and talented stage manager. The scripting of the trio’s chatter has a dash of Mamet, a hint of Beckett, a whiff of Humphries, and shades of pure revue. Lovely timing, gloriously pregnant pauses and snappy crossed wires.  Good work all three, especially brave Holds, the veteran backstager who is unused to the glare of the spotlight.

 

As a surefire rapid-fire grand finale to the Fringe show, seasoned actor Robert Cusenza (who is also performing in Goers' productions of The Christian Brothers and Romeo and Juliet in Fifteen Minutes) emerges from the auditorium to join Goers onstage for the famous old Abbott and Costello Who’s On First routine. It’s good. They’re good. Tears in the eyes laughter. 

 

And it’s all over for this year. Long may the trilogy live on.

 

Samela Harris

 

When: 22 Feb to 23 Mar

Where: The Arch, Holden Street Theatres

Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au

 

Editors Note: Samela has been friend and colleague of Goers these many years and swears she would be the first to tell him if his show stank.