The Mandurah husband-and-wife team behind Elphick Entertainment are going from Cobblers Tavern to a Perth stage with their first large-scale performance.
After making their name in the Mandurah bar scene running open mic nights, Ben and Jess Elphick are bringing the show they have dreamed of for years to Perth’s Astor Theatre next month.
Hitting the stage on November 27, the pair will bring the music of Simply Red and Phil Collins to audiences in two live performances of Seriously Rad.
For Ben, who has performed around Mandurah since he was 17, the show marks a new chapter in a musical career spanning 26 years in the city’s pubs, bars and live music venues.
“I’ve probably played just about every music venue in Mandurah over the years,” he said.
“Music has taken me all over WA, playing mine sites and taverns, on to big cruise ship stages and overseas in Japan and China. Every gig teaches you something, and all of that experience goes into a show like this.”
Local audiences will recognise Ben from the old Slug and Hare Ale House, Little Stiller’s Sunday sessions and Friday nights at The Lakelands Tavern.
Any chance to get up and sing with a band has become part of his ongoing connection with Mandurah’s music community, a commitment that earned him a nomination for Mandurah’s community citizen of the year award in 2025.
“The people have seen me as the grassroots guy around Mandurah, which is very much who I am, but it would be nice for them to come see me at this next level on the big stage,” he said.
Jess, who has overseen the co-ordination and promotion of the show, said she would love to see the people who have watched Ben play around Mandurah share this next step with him.
“It would mean so much to us to be able to look out across the sea of people, pick out the Mandurah crew there, and really feel that local support,” she said.
“We’re just a couple of Mandurah kids ourselves, so to be able to take this idea to the big smoke has been pretty cool.”
Alongside Ben, Seriously Rad will include an ensemble whose collective credits include Perth Symphony Orchestra, Perth Jazz Orchestra, the Australian Army Band and MJ The Musical at Crown Theatre.
Live horns, percussion, guitars, piano, synths, keyboards and backing vocals will bring Simply Red and Phil Collins catalogues to life, with WA musicians Nic Di Lena and Bob Brisbane leading a set each.
The line-up also includes drummer Abim Onamade, who was on stage with Snoop Dogg at the 2025 AFL grand final.
“Phil Collins and Simply Red have been the soundtrack to a lot of our lives,” Jess said.
“Bringing these songs to life with an incredible band is so special to us. I actually can’t believe it.”
Ben said it was particularly special to him as the two artists were the soundtrack to his childhood drives down south with his family.
“This music is just etched into my memory,” he said.
“It’s such a beautiful and nostalgic thing to be able to play the music that really set the scene for me in terms of inspiration.
“We’re working with peers that are at the absolute top of their game, and so for me it feels like a huge responsibility to honour such deep and personal relevance to me and so many others.”
The couple hopes the Astor performance could eventually open the doors to taking Seriously Rad to audiences around Australia.
“We’d love to take it on the road,” Ben said.
“That’s the ambition. But first, we want to put on a show at the Astor that we can be really proud of.
“Whatever happens next, this started with us here in Mandurah, and we’d love to see how far we can take it.”
Tickets for the show on November 27 are available at Ticketek.com.