Veteran musician Peter Combe returns to the Adelaide Fringe in 2025, sharing beloved songs from his long career with the next generation. The audience consists of a healthy mix: excited children and millennial parents, with a few nostalgic Gen X grandparents thrown in.

Now in his mid-seventies, Combe clearly still loves performing. He is charismatic and cheerful as he sings the punchlines to his songs, with a deep bass voice. His enunciation is excellent. Even a clueless parent hearing the lyrics to Spaghetti Bolognese for the first time would understand the lyrics. 

Combe plays the acoustic guitar and is accompanied by longtime bandmate Phil Cunneen on keyboard. Combe has also invited a chorus of brightly dressed and excited young performers from drama school Theatre Bugs to join him on stage, both singing and dancing. Their choreography is energetic and fun, inspiring many of the young audience members to dance along in their seats. 

The line-up includes a mixture of sentimental favourites and more recent gems. It’s So Hot Today, Tadpole Blues, and Newspaper Mama receive just as much love from the audience as Live It Up and Hey Mr Soundman. For the sweet and heartfelt I Dream I Can Fly, Combe shares the mic with two talented young singers from the chorus. His exaggerated delivery in Exterminate is fuelled by an unstoppable good mood and hatred of blowflies. He teaches the audience simple choreography for, and encourages singing along with, Planet Earth. He closes the show by performing the irresistible Mr Clicketty Cane for the 2,169th time.

Combe describes the audience on Saturday afternoon as “the Fringe ‘25 Philharmonic Choir, both junior and senior sections”. He is absolutely correct. Peter Combe in Wash Your Kids in Orange Juice! is a fun and wholesome afternoon, best shared with family, whether young or old.