Just in case you don’t know the 90s-and-onwards phenomenon that is Natalie Imbruglia, she’s an Australian actor who shot to fame as Beth in Neighbours – before following the trail blazed by Kylie and Jason into a singer-songwriter career. Many of us have favourite artists whose work seems to speak directly to us; for Simon Gomes that’s Natalie, who was at her most prominent when he was growing up.

Natalie’s there on stage, in cardboard-cutout form, and through the medium of interview clips she shares advice that resonates with Gomes’s real-life tale. We learn early on that he lives with a disability, one that he sometimes fears might overcome him; and, of course, there are coming-of-age pains we’ll all recognise from our younger days. It’s a genial and truthful show which I’d love to get behind but, fittingly, I’m torn.

Strongest, for me, is the storytelling. Early on, Gomes plays with our expectations – and maybe even our biases – as he hints at a direction his teenage life might have taken, before turning our mental picture on its head. And there’s gentle, universal sadness as he abandons his childhood hobbies, polishing away facets of his personality through a desire to conform. But the chronological structure misses some opportunities to build interest and drama. One high point comes when he foreshadows an operation that we can sense is going to go wrong; more moments like that, more glimpses of the future or reminders of the past, could shape a more compelling narrative.

There are plenty of dad jokes – which are absolutely fine – and also some dancing, which lands less well. The shifts from stories to boogies feel rather forced, and Natalie’s style of music isn’t as natural a fit for a dance break as an outright pop banger might be. On the other hand, when “Natalie” is talking, Gomes is left awkwardly on stage with nothing to do. The concept is sound, and the interview snippets are an almost eerie fit for Gomes’s own experiences, but it’ll take some work before it feels smooth and free-flowing.

The messages, though, are strong and affecting, about living each moment as it comes and learning to be comfortable with everything you are. Gomes is an open and likeable performer too. So the structure and delivery have room to develop, but the foundations are certainly there; now’s the chance to build it (even) better.