Category: Cabaret

Cabaret

Dislocate Presents IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

Evocative and engrossing physical theatre

By Leeor Adar

Theatre Press was lucky to sit in once again for Dislocate’s If These Walls Could Talk…?  for the Glow Winter Arts Festival 2017. Dislocate’s marvellous physical theatre finds a memorable home with slapstick comedy and the melancholy. If you think you’re in for some light physical comedy, you would be delighted to find that Dislocate’s artists are excellent acrobats, but even more brilliant storytellers.

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Dislocate was founded in 1998 by Kate Fryer and Geoffrey Dunstan for the purpose of showcasing high-quality circus acts alongside powerful narratives. They have toured extensively over the years, and were nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Physical or Visual Theatre in 2015.

In this 2017 production, our four performers, director Fryer, Dunstan, Luke Taylor and Sam Aldham embody the lives of several decades of residents in an apartment. Generation after generation of inhabitants, starting from the 1960s, find themselves embarking on the harrowing highs and lows of life. At the close of each ‘life’ segment, the ensemble sweep in to dismantle the space in preparation for the next arrivals.

The performance is littered with polarities – on one hand we find ourselves admiring the devotion of an elderly couple remembering their youth and first flush of love for one another, and then despair when we see that they quietly follow through into mutual tragedy, and this theme continues throughout the production. Other sequences include the spirit of a lover haunting their living loved one as they groove to the music of the 1970s, and the tragi-comic suicide attempts of a man whose attempts are foiled by the higher powers of a faulty window and high-functioning ceiling lamp.

It’s unsurprising this production brings audiences in the droves and attracts critical acclaim – I laughed, gasped and sighed, all the while at the edge of my seat. If you have the chance to catch Dislocate in action, I would highly recommend it.

If These Walls Could Talk…? was performed from Thursday 17 – Saturday 20 August at Chapel Off Chapel. To keep up to date with Dislocate’s work, visit their website here: http://www.dislocate.com.au/web/Home.html

Cabaret

Arts Centre Melbourne Presents THE SECRET LIFE OF SUITCASES

Magical

By Joana Simmons

“Everything is matter, and everything matters” – Quork.

Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can have the biggest effect. The Secret Life of Suitcases, originally co-produced by the Unicorn Theatre, London, is a beautiful tale told through puppetry and music for audiences of all ages. We follow the story of Larry, who is swept up from his busy life by a magic suitcase and taken on a journey to see the beauty in his world that business can often cloud. It’s a heart-warming, relevant and very relatable journey that leaves a smile on faces big and small.

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The Secret Life of Suitcases is the second collaboration between Ailie Cohen and playwright and director Lewis Hetherington. Their elegant poetic narrative weaves well with soundtrack by Niroshini Thambar to take us away to a world that is not far from our own, but extremely well-crafted. Larry is taken by his from his busy office life to the park, the sea, an island to outer space, and in the process shown the things he is missing. There are droplets of humour and snippets of wisdom that are engaging yet completely un-patronising for young audiences, and sent chuckles around the grown-ups, myself included. That’s one of my favourite parts of this show: the story is opened up for the audience to take what they want, rather than in a “I can’t hear you boys and girls!” kind of way.

A simple set of suitcases in conservative colour schemes transforms seamlessly into various landscapes. It astonishes me how the puppeteers do it all with their two hands, manipulating the scenery and characters while maintaining dialogue from the characters and energetically keeping the story going. A few clever changes of t-shirt and costume combined with lighting take us from the normal to the nautical and astronomical. The simplicity is stunning. Cohen and Hetherington do a fantastic job doing the whole show without microphones, though sometimes I found it difficult to hear. The story developed to a final lesson for Larry (and us) to learn right at the end, which was beautiful but some of the younger audience members started to get restless and may have missed it. It’s difficult to present a show like this that develops and gets us invested without sacrificing the length of a show – this one almost achieves that.

It was an absolute treat to sit back and enjoy this clever creation. Puppetry is an art form that can sometimes cross into the naff or tacky, but The Secret Life of Suitcases was humourous and distinguished. I am happy I got to catch it; it was only on this weekend, but be sure to remember the name to catch it next time. The message is as beautiful as its delivery.

The Secret Life of Suitcases played at The Arts Centre from 12 & 13 August, 2017

http://www.secretsuitcases.com/

https://www.artscentremelbourne.com.au/

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

Provocaré Festival Presents HOW TO SAVE THE WORLD WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

Unfailingly funny

By Myron My

Satirical cabaret artists George Bourgeois and Maurice Maurice have been performing together for ten years, and at this year’s Provocaré Festival, Melbourne audiences are treated to an evening of comedic political activism with their fabulous show How To Save the World Without Really Trying.

How to Save The World

Capitalism has failed us. As has fascism and communism. So what’s left? Well, according to Bourgeois and Maurice, it’s time to explore the benefits of their unique form of hedonism as the duo rip through various political issues such as marriage equality, Brexit and feminism with razor-sharp wit and joy.

At one point, Bourgeois and Maurice ask us to lament for the turmoil that the richest and most powerful people in the world feel in having to be in charge of all that money and needing to decide what they should do with all that fortune. It’s not easy at all. Meanwhile Maurice’s emotional feminist call-to-arms performance to “kill all men” speaks volumes of truth regarding (in)equality between genders, while also providing plenty of laughs for the audience.

The visuals in the show are a constant source of enjoyment from beginning to end including when Bourgeois and Maurice drop in for a Face-time chat with Bourgeois and Maurice to offer up some advice on how to make their cabaret stronger, and the duo’s out-of-this-world costume designs. The costumes have a fun intergalactic feel and Maurice’s blink-and-you-miss-it outfit change is simple, yet creates a full transformation. The hair and make-up adds to the alternative nature of the cabaret and I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyelashes as spectacular and eye-catching as those that Bourgeois was wearing.

How To Save the World Without Really Trying is a perfect example of what late-night cabaret is all about. Political, entertaining and thought-provoking, Bourgeois and Maurice deliver the goods with this show. Here’s to hedonism, and a whole lot of it.

Venue: The MC Showroom, Level 1, 46 Clifton St. Prahran
Season: until 30 July | Tue – Sat 9:30pm, Sun 4pm and 8pm
Tickets: From $24
Bookings: Provocaré Festival

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

Provocaré Festival Presents THIS BOY’S IN LOVE

And so are we

By Myron My

Ado is looking for love. He’s 35 years old, and working as a casual drama teacher contending with obnoxious teenagers and work frustrations. And then along comes Felix. Presented as part of Provocaré Festival, This Boy’s In Love is a sweet and endearing cabaret about falling in love and not letting fear stuff it up.

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The show opens with Ado (Adriano Cappelletta) preparing for a first date, full of nervous excitement as he tries on various outfits. This montage both allows Cappelletta to highlight his clowning abilities (having trained at the famous Gaulier clown school), and establishes his story is driven by heart. It is this last point that really makes his show stand out from others that also have an affable protagonist unlucky in the world of romance. Ado has such an adorable heartfelt quality to him (as with Cappelletta), that it is not surprising just how quickly and unexpectedly we become invested in his quest for love.

Cappelletta plays all the characters in his story and his quick transformations between each may only utilise subtle changes in body language and voice, but they are also very distinct. The conversations between Ado and Felix are perfectly timed, and the way he (and he) reacts physically and emotionally to what is being said is so well-executed it begins to feel like there are actually two people on stage.

The original songs in This Boy’s In Love are lyrically engaging and funny and delve further into exploring Ado’s desires and feelings, with “Zomgay” being a perfect example of this: a retort to the gay men who spend all their time at the gym or beach, and going on drug binges every weekend. Apart from possessing a great voice, Cappelletta also has some slick moves that he displays during his drug-infused dance sequence at a Sydney gay nightclub, with simple lighting design used effectively also during these scenes.

According to Ado, a gay reaches his use-by-date at the age of 35. I may have a year to go before this happens to me, but you only have a week left to see this brilliantly charming show. This Boy’s In Love is a big gay love story with plenty of laughs and a whole lot of heart.

Venue: The MC Showroom, Level 1, 46 Clifton St. Prahran
Season: until 29 July | Tue – Sat 6:30pm, Sat 2:30pm
Tickets:From $24
Bookings: Provocaré Festival

Image by Karen Lowe

Cabaret, Performances, Review

Wood & Marsden Present MOTHER’S RUIN: A CABARET ABOUT GIN

Scintillatingly clever and funny

By Bradley Storer

Not being a big gin-drinker myself, I was worried initially that a show entirely about gin would fly straight over my head. I was put at ease straight away upon entering the venue to find the performers jauntily jamming away onstage about groanworthy gin puns to the laughter of the audience – I may not be a gin connoisseur, but I AM a lover of bad puns.

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After the show proper began, we were introduced to performers and writers Libby Wood and Maeve Marsden along with their token male accompanist, indie cabaret star Tom Dickins, in a riotous Kander and Ebb number complete with hilariously minimal choreography before we shot off on a rocketing ride through the varied and colourful history of gin.

Wood and Marsden guide us through industrial revolution London, into the Peruvian jungles and all the way through to the modern day, utilizing music from artists such as Amy Winehouse, Peggy Lee and Nina Simone re-arranged into scintillating three-way harmonies, along with a few choice moments of beat-boxing and the uniquely titled ‘malarial burlesque’. Wood and Marsden’s voices blend and meld beautifully together in harmony, but both are equally capable of unleashing powerful vocals in their solo spots.

What is so striking about the show is how it examines the interconnection of gin, which stereotypically was believed to have been produced and consumed primarily by Industrial-era women, with historical patterns of misogyny and the disempowerment of women that continued deep into the 20th century. While played mostly for laughs, hearing the stories of women throughout the ages subtly suggests that the ‘mother’s ruin’ of the title is not in fact gin, but patriarchal oppression itself as it grinds women down to nothing. When Marsden lets loose an iconic and expletive-filled Martha Wainwright song, the withering lyric ‘I will not put on a smile / I will not say I’m all right for you’ feels like the rage-filled cry of women throughout history spilling forth in defiant indignation.

An hilarious comedy-cabaret with a cunningly concealed sociological undercurrent, it is easy to see why Mother’s Ruin has been enjoying sell-out seasons across the country and we can only hope for even more success for such an original and creatively executed show!

Mother’s Ruin: A Cabaret About Gin played at The Box, Map 57, Jacka Blvd, St Kilda VIC 3182 from 19 – 21 July, 2017.

Cabaret, Review, Whats On

Jenny Wynters is FULLY MADE UP

Comedy cabaret off the cuff and on a roll

By Jessica Cornish

Welcome to a twilight zone: saddle up and grab your favourite flaccid, furry, stretchy squid for one hour of random and ridiculous improvised musical comedy. Fully Made Up is an improvised cabaret performance entirely based on suggestions written from audience members prior to the show.

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The cabaret presumably follows the same core story every performance in following the life of a mystery lady (in our performance she was known as Glenda from Toowoomba), covered in red plastic diamantes and flowing grey curls, living in a yet-to-be-determined location, and on a quest to secure a lead role on Broadway. After many trials and tribulations our leading lady of the evening scores her long-awaited dream job, only to find it’s not all she imagined it would be…

The evening began with a disclaimer from the talented and animated pianist Greg Munrow purported to lower our expectations: but of course unnecessarily so. Veteran comedian Jenny Wynter’s continuous quick wit was able to transform abstract themes and suggestions adroitly into a discernable and hilarious narrative.

The cabaret also featured guest artists: Pasquale played the part of the Glenda’s daughter performing poetry, but unfortunately the duo were not successful in conjuring up some witty words and rhymes under the pressure of our particular evening’s performance. However, Wynter’s male guest Rik Brown featured in one song and here the impro worked like a charm, as the pair were able to skillfully and spontaneously create a one-hit wonder song ‘Bring It On’ which had the audience in hysterics.

Fully Made Up was incredibly funny and Wynter continued to weave in reference material mentioned earlier in the evening to tie the performance satisfyingly together. It was impossible not to be drawn in as we waited to see if the next suggestion from the up-turned black hat would in fact be ours!

I laughed all night and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I can’t think of a better way to spend a cold drizzly night In Melbourne, so grab your ticket before Fully Made Up is packed up for this season.

When: Wednesday 5th of July- Sunday 9th of July, 8:30pm every night!

Where: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, CBD

Cost:$28 (concession) and $32 (full)

Bookings: 03 9663 8107 or https://thebutterflyclub.com/shows or at the Box Office.

Cabaret, Circus, Review, Whats On

Strut & Fret Present BLANC DE BLANC

A toast to the highlights

By Myron My

Set inside the Aurora Spiegeltent, Strut & Fret’s Blanc de Blanc is the newest blend of cabaret, circus and burlesque to make its way to Melbourne. A stream of scantily-clad men and women present a variety of acts intended to titillate and dazzle, and while there are certainly some thrilling moments, this is unfortunately rarely the case. As such, the show ultimately comes across as a relatively mediocre variety night of dance and clowning, which over two hours begins to feel repetitive and even tiresome.

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Spencer Novich is absolutely hilarious as the right hand man to maitre d’ Monsieur Romeo. His clowning and physicality kept the entire audience bellowing with laughter and his mime montage of various sound bytes all thrown together was the highlight of the evening. His later pairing with J’aiMime for a second dose of this was even more impressive. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for his Romeo, whose entire presence throughout the show felt awkward and at times unnecessary.

Of the limited circus acts performed, it must be noted Hampus Jansson and Milena Straczynksi’s double aerial act showed strength and sensuality, while the bellhop acrobatics by Masha and her spinning hotel luggage cart displayed strong skill and real concentration.

Despite the glaring presence of champagne throughout, there was neither a strong, fluid (pun intended) theme running between each act or an overarching narrative to make Blanc de Blanc a cohensive whole. The use of the spa felt tacky and as if it was imposing on the show rather than working as a character. Meanwhile, towards the end of the show audience members are given five minutes to take selfies with the performers, and while the intentions might be to connect with us, the overt self-promotion meant the show unfortunately lost any charm for me it may have garnered along the way.

Strut & Fret delivered an amazing show with LIMBO during Melbourne Festival in 2015. Unfortunately they have failed to re-create that magic for me with Blanc de Blanc, with its lack of a clear purpose and the dearth of exciting acts.

Venue: The Aurora Spiegelent, Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda (next to Palais Theatre) 
Season: Until 30 July| Tues – Thus 7:30pm, Fri – Sat 7pm and 9:30pm, Sun 7pm
Tickets: between $38 and $78
Bookings: Map 57

Cabaret, Review, Whats On

Roulston and Young Present SONGS FOR LOVERS (AND OTHER IDIOTS)

Fantastically funny

By Bradley Storer

British cabaret stalwarts Michael Roulston and Sarah-Louise Young bring their acclaimed song-writing prowess to Melbourne audiences in their fluffy but barbed presentation Songs for Lovers (And Other Idiots).

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The two performers have a wonderful playful chemistry, bouncing off each other and interacting with the audience to create a delightful and fun atmosphere from the very start. Young is a joyful and radiant performer, taking the lead on most songs with her crystalline soprano and is equally compelling when she is lusting after a (fictionalized) younger man as she is playing the character of a divorcee struggling to overcome her loss. Roulston is her Puck-like and mischievous counterpart, quick with an incisive comeback and an arched eyebrow to the audience, providing harmonies, counter-pointing and even taking over for a song where he has to admit to a shameful secret that I won’t reveal here (Hint: it involves Enya).

The pair have composed an hilarious collection of tunes that tackle both their own relationship and the many facets of modern dating and love, ranging from the straight girl/gay man dynamic, the difficulties of dating in middle age, the joys of contented singledom, even an epic ‘walk of shame’ more calamitous than The Odyssey. One particular song involving children was so funny and irreverent the audience (including this reviewer) were falling in the aisles laughing!

As the duo regaled the audience with their own tales of love and embarrassment, you could see many attendees nodding their heads in recognition – I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t see themselves, even in a small way, reflected in this comedic collection.

Lovers of original song-writing, lovers of cabaret comedy – heck, lovers in general will adore this show, so get in and see this delightful duo!

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne VIC 3000

Dates: Wed 21st – Sun 25th June

Time: 8:30pm

Prices: $32 Full, Concession $28, Members $26, Groups (6+) $25

Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com, or at the venue

Cabaret, Review, Whats On

Dusty Limits in GRIN

Suave and satirical cabaret charm

By Bradley Storer

Announced onstage by accompanist and co-composer Michael Roulston, Australian-born cabaret performer Dusty Limits burst onstage, suited in black with a hint of feathers, and charmingly commanded the audience from his first moment with clear expertise. Beginning with the cheerily negative ‘Is It Too Late?’, Dusty walked us through the back-catalogue of his songwriting with Roulston, interspersed with witty asides and remarks about the state of the modern world.

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One of the foremost performers in the European-Weimar cabaret tradition, Dusty was utterly charming and charismatic throughout the entire show, utilizing his crisp diction, a clear delectation for words and a warm and beautiful lower register to maximum effect, as well as a few well-placed and stunning high notes that thrilled with their power. The socially-critical aspect of Weimar cabaret was heavily present, with topics covered in the show included the hypocrisy of religious leaders, the ‘problems’ of the super rich and a touching elegy to the continuing problem of homelessness. Roulston’s sensitive and versatile accompaniment was a huge contributor to the impact of every song, and the pair’s long-standing collaboration was clearly evident with both responding instinctively to the rhythm of the other.

A clear audience favourite was a jaunty and macabre number about an undead family reunion, the weird and embarrassing members of the family inhabiting the song clearly familiar to many. And of course, another particularly hit was the number without which no dark and pessimistic cabaret is complete: the drinking song.

Some of the particularly British references in the song may have gone over the audience’s head, but the misanthropic humour was most definitely universal. If you have a taste for the twisted and the dark, catch this homegrown treasure while you still can!

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne VIC 3000

Dates: Wed 21st – Sunday 25th June.

Time: 7pm

Prices: $32 Full, $28 Concession, Members $26, Groups (6+) $25

Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com, or at the venue.

Cabaret, Performances, Review

Memo Music Hall Presents THE VERY WORST OF THE TIGER LILLIES

Gloriously grotesque as always

By Bradley Storer

It was appropriately a cold night in St Kilda when the diabolical godfathers of British alternative cabaret, The Tiger Lillies, took to the stage at Memo Music Hall. After nearly thirty years of performing, their confronting and controversial compositions have made them a beloved cult-favourite worldwide. With an air of weary but playful detachment, the trio assaulted the audience with their particular style of performance, turning the venue into something between a demonic carnival and a filthy Weimar-era den of inequity. From their first steps onstage the audience was eating out of their hands, whooping and hollering for more.

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Lead singer Martyn Jacques was creepily charismatic, his eerie but beautiful countertenor voice standing in stark contrast to his frightening clown makeup and the chilling lyrics of their original compositions. His deadpan expression and facial gesticulations were used to hilarious effect in such songs as ‘Terrible’, recounting the weekly schedule of a serial murderer/arsonist/rapist, and ‘Sailor’, a blow-by-blow recounting of an encounter with an un-enthused sex worker. Fellow founding member Adrian Stout provided exemplary work on the contrabass, theremin and even the musical saw in addition to backing vocals, with Jonas Golland’s subtle drumwork adding an extra layer of drama to every song.

The band has a massive repertoire from their twenty-eight year career to choose from, so picking a selection for performance must be an unenviable task! Highlights of this night included the rollicking ‘Aunty Mabel’, a genderbending tale of a cross-dressing amputee, as well as the emotive ‘Beat Me’, where Jacques’ beautiful piano-playing was combined with understated accompaniment from Stout and Golland to heartbreaking effect. At the end of the night, the performers called for requests from the audience who bombarded them with enthusiastic replies – picked from the multitude was the gut-bursting paean to alcoholism ‘Another Glass of Wine’, the ‘sure to offend everyone religious’ number ‘Banging in the Nails’, the apocalyptic classic ‘Crack of Doom’, before the night ended with, aptly enough, the fatalistic and eventually fatal countdown of ‘Twenty Five Minutes’. From the way the audience stood and cheered for the trio as they took their final bows, they would have gladly sat there all night as the boys played their entire back catalogue!

An unmissable night of dark and malevolent entertainment from masters of their craft, demonstrating clearly why they’ve continued to endure for nearly three decades!

The Very Worst of The Tiger Lillies was performed on 18th June, 2017 at MEMO Music Hall.

https://www.tigerlillies.com/