Tim Minchin’s orchestral set at the Perth Festival is played for laughs

A desperate attention-seeker and quick on his feet, Tim Minchin showcases the songs from his new album Apart/Together.

Glorious mess: Minchin. Picture: Corey James

As the headliner of this year’s Perth Festival, hometown hero Tim Minchin had promised to join with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and deliver a straight reading of his first pop album Apart/Together in the idyllic surrounds of Kings Park.

After the opener, Summer ­Romance, the quirky comic said: “If you came for comedy — sucked in. This will be your punishment for not reading the ­instructions.” That this comment came nearly 10 minutes into a rambling introduction to Leaving LA showed the evening was not to be a faithful run-through of the album.

But the show, delayed for two weeks after Western Australia went into lockdown, was anything but punishment. Over the course of two ramshackle hours, Minchin threw up a glorious mess of music and laughs and seemed to be flying by the seat of his pants.

Tim Minchin and conductor Jessica Gethin with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Picture: Corey James

Dressed in a suit and tie, and barefoot, Minchin is a desperate attention-seeker.

Somehow, he’s found a way to turn a capacity crowd of 5000 into doting family members, as if the expanse of Kings Park was the family living-room and he the middle child who will do anything to engender love. He has an impressive intellect and ability to think on his feet.

The songs from Apart/­Together have too many words and not enough hooks, yet several were improved in their new ­arrangements on Saturday.

Among the composers doing the honours were Jamie Messenger, Joe Twist, Lisa Cheney and Perth Festival artistic director Iain Grandage.

Still, as is the case far too often in such pairings, orchestra and band did not really gel. As soon as Ben VanderWal’s drums came crashing in, the sound of the 30-piece orchestra, conducted by Jessica Gethin, was lost up on the hill of Kings Park’s natural amphitheatre.

The ballads worked best, particularly I Can’t Save You and If This Plane Goes Down. The main set-closer, Carry You, with its strong Elton John influence, showed everyone to best effect.

Walking away, you may not have been convinced of the album, or of the jarring blend of orchestra and small band, but it was great fun, nonetheless.