Review: ANH DO - THE HAPPIEST REFUGEE LIVE! – OZASIA FESTIVAL 2024 at Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Thursday 7th November 2024.

In Anh Do - The Happiest Refugee Live! he draws on his best-selling first book, The Happiest Refugee, combined with stand-up comedy, true anecdotes from his life, photographs, and videos. Unfortunately, I was allocated seats halfway back in the Dress Circle, from where I was unable to see clearly due to wearing transition lens spectacles, meaning that I was looking down on the stage through the bottom part of the lenses, the section designed for reading and close work. Everything was blurred. Consequently, I cannot comment on the visual aspects of the performance.

He takes us back to when he was three years old and his family, with Uncle Six, made the dangerous journey from Vietnam to Australia along with many other refugees on an overcrowded little fishing boat. On the way, they spent time in a Malaysian refugee camp, faced pirates, as well as suffering starvation and dehydration. They were extremely lucky to have made it here.

Life in the early years was not easy, and there were many bad times. His father lost all of the family’s money, drank heavily, and eventually left them when Ahn was only thirteen. His mother had to bring up the family alone. He worked to help the family, and still persevered with his school and university studies, gaining a combined Business and Law degree, he then turned to stand-up comedy instead of pursuing a career in the law.

He is a multitalented man with more artistic outlets than his work as a stand-up comedian. Years later, he tracked down and reconnected with his father, painting his portrait and entering it in the prestigious Archibald Prize competition, reaching the finals. Later, with a portrait of the late Aboriginal Elder, Uncle Jack Charles, he won the Archibald Prize. This led to his popular and very successful television series in which he painted portraits of famous people while talking with them. Admitting that he cannot dance he, nevertheless, appeared on the television series, Dancing with the Stars. He has also written numerous books for children. His list of achievements continues to grow.

The ninety minutes flew past as he told his story, the highs and lows generating waves of laughter, or bringing tears to the eyes of many in the audience at the moments of sadness, or joy. Ahn Do is a fine storyteller, captivating his audience and carrying them with him every step of the way. A packed theatre and enormous applause at the end of the evening showed how much his fans appreciated the performance.

What was very obvious was his love for, and the love and support within his family, when he was growing up, and how that has continued within his own young family. That closeness of his family group sustained him through all of the hard times and continues to encourage him in his endeavours. He regularly acknowledged the importance of his family members during the evening.

This was a moving and uplifting performance and a worthwhile addition to this year’s OzAsia Festival.