Shortis and Simpson's 2017: the Year of the Haircut at Ainslie Arts Centre

"It came about," Shortis says, "because the world being brought to the brink by the two worst haircuts in world history - Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un."

That conceit got them going and then they noticed other prominent people whom they did not think were terrific in the tonsorial department - people like Boris Johnson ("the Blonde Bombshell himself") and former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont ("he looks like he's wearing a Beatles wig").

Then there were the High Court justices in their wigs who have had a prominent role to play this year - particularly in the latter part of 2017 as the citizenship issue continues to affect Parliament and Shortis and Simpson's show.

The passionate utterances of Bob Katter and the alleged influence of Russia on the US election - sung Marilyn Monroe-style to Donald Trump in Oh Mr President - also come in for attention.

Shortis has even found himself this year in the uncomfortable, for him, position of agreeing at least once with both Attorney-General George Brandis (when he spoke out against Pauline Hanson's One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson after she entered the Senate in a burqa) and Australian Conservatives Senator Cory Bernardi (after he called for Parliament to be suspended until the citizenship issue was resolved).

The ongoing citizenship issue inspired a song, Just Do Nothing, advising Bill Shorten how to win the next election.

"All he has to do is nothing," Shortis says, likening the Opposition Leader to Winter Olympic gold medalist Steven Bradbury who triumphed in the 1000-metre short track speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics after all of his opponents were involved in a last corner pile-up

Shortis has also set Section 44(1) of the constitution (dealing with citizenship eligibility) to music (whether or not that helps some politicians to remember it remains to be seen), written a Greek dance for Simpson in honour of Nick Xenophon (whose citizenship status was referred to the High Court and who resigned from the Senate to run for the South Australian Parliament before being declared eligible) and a song about the support of Canberra Airport for marriage equality.

Given the changes that have been happening regularly in recent days, Shortis has had to do a lot more rewriting than usual. When interviewed he was assuming the "Yes" vote would prevail in the postal survey on marriage equality but was prepared for a "No", just in case.

And on the topic of marriage equality, Shortis also notes that American rapper Macklemore's song Same Love, which infuriated some conservatives when he performed it at the NRL grand final, went to number 1 on iTunes. He will perform his own version of a rap.

"Now I know how to get to number one!" he says.

Shortis and Simpson will be taking the show on tour, performing in Bungendore (already sold out) and in Melbourne as well as in Canberra. And Shortis is expecting to be doing rewrites along the way.

"Anything could happen - it's going to be a dramatic time."

2017 - The Year of the Haircut is on at Ainslie Arts Centre, Elouera Street, Braddon on Friday, November 24 at 8pm. Tickets $35/$30. Bookings: 6182 0000 or eventbrite.com.au.