Robyn Archer: An Australian Songbook (Belvoir) ★★★1/2

Devised and Performer by Robyn Archer. Belvoir St Theatre. 18 – 29 Oct, 2023.

Robyn Archer is a storyteller, it just may not be the story you expect to hear. It’s notable that the title to her new show is An Australian Songbook, rather than THE Australian Songbook. There is a multiplicity of options and her talent as a curator is just as important as her skill as a performer.

With an impish grin, Archer takes us through a potted musical history of Australia, combining works by First Nations artists, melodies inherited from traditional European folk songs, country & blues and rock. You won’t hear too many songs you recognise unless your knowledge of music is much deeper than the average, but you will learn a lot along the way.

It’s thanks to her stage presence that the evening never feels like a TED talk. There is humour laced through the commentary and the song choices that enlighten aspects of Australian life often overlooked. These are primarily songs of the common people. We get great lashings of politics too. From satirical tunes skewering political leaders, to songs rooted in feminist activism, Archer’s provocative, left-leaning wit still rings strong.

This isn’t only Archer’s night. She is accompanied by a trio of multi talented musicians with an ear for a laugh. George Butrumlis on piano accordion, Cameron Goodall on guitar, and Enio Pozzebon on keyboards, who all bring their acting/singing/playing chops to the stage. In fact some of the funniest moments belong to the trio.

There’s a definite nostalgia to An Australian Songbook. Not just in looking back at centuries of music, but Archer’s own career. The focus here isn’t on soaring melodies or popular bangers, but on the narratives and character each song brings forth, and this is the kind of material Archer excels at. For fans of Robyn, or of the rarely explored corners of Australian music, the show is a must see.