Cabaret / Irony Done Here, Shortis & Simpson. At Smith’s Alternative until March 22. Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.

It is 30 years since John Shortis and Moya Simpson presented their first political revue in the School of Arts Café in Queanbeyan.

The title of that show was Shortis and Curlies, and it also featured another young Canberra entertainer, Andrew Bisset.

It is also 30 years since the duo decided, after years of doing school shows, community arts projects and cabaret shows with other people, to settle in Bungendore.

This fateful decision provided them with the title of this current show, Irony Done Here; the delightful story of how that title came about; and a reason to pause and look back over those 30 years.

In typical Shortis and Simpson style, this affectionate retrospective revisits triumphs and pitfalls along their path to becoming local legends who consistently draw loyal audiences of political junkies to cabaret venues, theatres, even national institutions, eager, much like the characters in Bridgerton, to hear the duos unique views on the latest upheavals in the house on the hill.

There is a reason for the duo’s extraordinary success in a field where others have long since come and gone. In Irony Done Here their audience is treated to some “behind closed doors” stories that provide the clues.

Shortis reveals how their revues have provided a pathway to channel his passion for political satire and music history into a successful career. He describes his process and inspirations, mentioning fellowships at the National Library, especially Sheet Dip, an excerpt from which is featured in the show, and commissions from other national institutions along the way.

Simpson demonstrates how her gift of a thousand voices, and skills learnt as a schoolteacher, led to her becoming Shortis’ muse, able to capture and reveal the wicked wit, wisdom and cheeky humour of his erudite lyrics. She also refers to successful solo projects, her own skills as a composer, and her passion for choral singing that has led to her establishing several choirs.

The program revisits favourite original songs and parodies from their myriad shows, among them The Ipswich Fish Shop performed in their first show Shortis and Curlies but still as hilariously relevant, and now perhaps a back-handed compliment to the longevity of the subject’s career.

Throughout the show the couple pay tribute to the local venues with which they have enjoyed long associations over the years, especially, in addition to The School of Arts Café, Vivaldi’s, The Street and The Q, the Canberra National Folk Festival, and of course, Smith’s Alternative, as well as many of the collaborators with whom they have worked on projects, some of whom were in the audience.

Throughout the show, it was surprising to note how fresh, funny and relevant the chosen excerpts remained. But there were also moments of poignancy to remind that life is not always a bowl of cherries.

Apart from being hugely entertaining, Irony Done Here is also a revealing expose of the dedication, hard work, ingenuity and talent required to maintain a successful career in entertainment.  Shortis and Simpson are exemplary examples of all these requirements.