Last Sunday night, the Cactus team performed a special one-off live show in Canberra as part of that city’s centenary celebrations. To say it went down a treat is an understatement.

Reviewer Deborah Hawke wrote:

Many people would have vague but very fond memories of this infamous syndicated radio show that started all the way back during Bob Hawke’s Prime Ministership in 1986. Indeed, after discussing the fact I was going to review the show with friends and colleagues, many stated how much they enjoyed How Green Was My Cactus and by the way, “whatever happened to it?”

I’m sure they will be thrilled to know that it’s actually been on the airwaves all this time, on commercial radio stations that opt to syndicate it, making it the longest running radio serial in Australian history.

Certainly when Canberrans found out the Cactus Island crew was taking their show on the road for a one-night-only live recording of the show, the massive line of baby boomers snaking its way to the entrance of the Spiegeltent that night proved there is still plenty of enthusiasm for this particular brand of political satire.

Read the full review here.

Grace Gibson Productions’ Bruce Ferrier was thrilled with the audience response and the review, telling radioinfo: “I couldn’t have said it better if I had written it myself, thanks Deborah!”

The review praised the show’s creator Doug Edwards and co-writer Shane Edwards, commenting:

“[It] has stood the test of time with flying colours, resisting the temptation to conform to any form of political correctness by declaring all and sundry fair game. Their solid gold scripts are swiftly paced with blistering observations, striking at the heart of what Australians love best – to unrelentingly take the piss until any pomp and spin we are fed in the public arena…”