Music / In the Belly of the Whale, co-created by Tracy Bourne and Michael Simic. At Smith’s Alternative until October 26. Reviewed by HELEN MUSA.

In the Belly of the Whale is a new solo show by Croatian-Australian singer, songwriter and entertainer Michael Simic, directed by Tracy Bourne.

It would be a stretch to call it straight theatre – there’s nothing straight about it – though theatre it undoubtedly is.

This one-man production unfolds as a loose, seafaring tale in which Simic wrestles with his larger-than-life stage persona, Mikelangelo. One is reminded of the way playwright Luigi Pirandello’s held conversations with his plays’ characters.

The dialogue swings between Mikelangelo – the self-styled “nightingale of the Adriatic” or “Balkan bull”, depending on your taste – leading the audience in rollicking maritime singalongs, and Simic’s more serious reflections on identity, fatherhood and the precarious balance between art and domestic life.

With his heavy Balkan accent, Mikelangelo promises that the evening will be “a little bit scary but not too scary”, and Simic too keeps it entertaining but not too entertaining as he reminisces about his childhood and comparing his own temper to that of his volatile Croatian-born father.

Soon the two find themselves trapped inside a monstrous sperm whale, a nod to Moby Dick. Just when we expect a grand existential reckoning, Herman Melville style, they spend barely a moment in the beast’s belly before ripping off their clothes then emerging from its rear end — oiled, and smeared in some mysterious substance, with Simic at least promising to be a better man.

There follows a heartfelt song in which Simic vows to turn over a new leaf for his wife and children. But the tender sincerity of this finale seems slightly at odds with the broad brushstrokes of what has come before, and it’s a relief when Mikelangelo, accent and all, reclaims the spotlight for the curtain call.

Ultimately, the tension between artist and alter ego is the driving force of this show, first seen at the Australian Wooden Boat Festival in February and now headed for touring. A strong and spirited piece – though it could use a little tightening.