By arts editor HELEN MUSA

There are plenty of Daves in Dave Houston’s show, Still Here, but there is only one Dave, and he is using comedy, music and storytelling to explore his experience of living with depression.

Presented by Rebus Theatre, Still Here is a 60-minute solo performance that moves between stand-up, slapstick, character comedy, vulnerable storytelling and live original music.

Houston plays a cast of characters, all variations on the name Dave, including bumbling work-for-the-dole stage manager Davo, charismatic hip-hop star Rave Dave and showbiz veteran Uncle David, whose career is now largely confined to Far North Queensland bowling and golf clubs.

There is also Byron Bay life coach Davey Uluru Crystal, Nimbin stoner Davology, inner-city street poet DFA, and clinical psychiatrist Dr Darvid Darvid.

Behind the comic characters is Houston’s own story, with the show drawing on his experiences of navigating depression and the often difficult realities of mental health.

The music ranges from punk and hip-hop to folk, garage rock, grunge and lullaby, adding another dimension to a show that aims to find humour and connection in experiences that can be difficult to put into words.

Still Here is Houston’s second solo show. At 24, he took his first one-man production, based on hitchhiking around Australia, to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

He co-founded Melbourne’s Full On Theatre in 1995, creating productions inspired by real-life stories and featuring live music. Still Here premiered in 2022.

Now Houston brings his unusual collection of Daves to Canberra, and says that, unlike the Dr Seuss poem Too Many Daves, this show has just the perfect number.”

Still Here, Ralph Wilson Theatre, Gorman Arts Centre, October 2 to 4.

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