THE HAPPIEST REFUGEE LIVE

It was a Friday afternoon and I was waiting for the bus to arrive in Kerang, staring down the road waiting for it to appear. When it pulled in and I boarded it, I was stunned to see how many people were coming to see the show. 

The bus ride went past in a flash, music blasting, most people chatting, some quietly looking out the window. 

Arriving in Bendigo was exciting. My only thought was, “It’s almost show time”. But when we saw the Golden Arches from a distance, our eyes lit up with hunger and the show was briefly forgotten. 

We only had 20 minutes to get in and out. We took that as a challenge. Big Macs, chicken nuggets and ice-creams were consumed in a flash. Then it was time to get back on the bus. Macca’s was exciting but something more exciting was ahead of us. 

Stepping into the Ulumbarra Theatre was like stepping into a castle of some sort, with a long flight of stone stairs and a large gate at the front.  Inside, the theatre was packed. Shoulder-to-shoulder we slowly wiggled our way forward. Along the wall were four jail cells that seem to be as old as time. Further along were different framed historical pieces, trying to make out what they were was as hard as decoding an ancient language. 

Moving into the foyer, it was even more packed. Here, we broke into groups, climbed the stairs like we were mountain climbers, rushed to find the ticket lady and then dashed to find the best spot to sit. Our group an entire row and then some. 

The lights dimmed and out came a guest comedian, who I found quite funny and was a great warm up act. Then he turned to the side and welcomed Anh Do. The audience applauded him enthusiastically as he ran out onto stage. 

Anh started by telling some jokes and warming up the crowd, which didn't take long. He then started to tell us bits and pieces from his Happiest Refugee autobiography, plus other stories that weren’t in the book. 

He told us about his time as an actor and about being on Dancing with the Stars, showing us a couple of his “signature moves” which was quite amusing. Then he told some more jokes. One of my favourites would have to be this: “The thing about Vietnamese cockroaches is they’re tough, man, cause they've been through the Vietnam War. I put down a Roach bomb and the little tackers defused it!” 

He then continued by telling us about meeting his wife and raising their children. He shared stories about his career as a lawyer, becoming a stand up comedian and his work with all different charities. He showed us some very funny videos of him fundraising for different charities. He finished with his ABC show Brush with Fame, talking about some of his best works. 

With a loud applause and a couple of whistles at the end indicated that the crowd was pleased with the show. Asking the people next to me what they thought got the same answers every time: “Loved it” and “Really funny!” 

Moving out of the theatre and heading back to the bus, we saw that the sun had set. It was a freezing night but everyone had a good laugh and was pleased with the show. The bus ride home was quiet, as everyone was worn out after their big day out. 

Overall, the show was beyond my imagination. It was a once in a lifetime experience!