Category: Cabaret

Cabaret, Opera, Whats On

Victorian Opera Presents ‘TIS PITY: AN OPERATIC FANTASIA OF SELLING THE SKIN AND TEETH

In praise of a cabaret goddess

By Bradley Storer

A sinister puppeteer dangles a dark-haired poppet on strings, twisting her to his amusement and satisfaction, as he sings of the evening ahead with hints of the debauchery and debasement to come. The star of the evening, the international cabaret star and dishevelled diva Meow Meow, misses her entrance to the Melbourne Recital Centre (of course) and is forced to drag around props and costumes before she ascends a staircase to become a glorious goddess of the ancient world. We are promised bite-sized pieces depicting the goddess’ many daughters throughout the ages, from Ancient Greece to the modern day.

Victorian-Opera-Tis-Pity-Meow-Meow-photo-by-Karl-Giant.jpg

Meow Meow is, as always, a combination of high-diva glamour and self-deprecating humour, always ready with an off-the-cuff remark that never fails to make the audience laugh. Her magnificent voice is on full show here, from a gutsy alto to a light classical soprano all utilized to maximum effect throughout the night. Her leading man Kanen Breen takes on many roles in the performance, from lover to pimp to bishop, with a ghoulish visage, an elastic physicality and a thrilling tenor voice that rings to every corner of the Recital Centre.

The text of the performance, from composer and librettist Richard Mills, is quite dense and delivered at a rapid pace – the performers are miked but not amplified loud enough, so often the words blended into a flurry of sound, and climatic lines to songs were drowned out by the orchestra. The vignette structure of the performance also seems extremely rushed, with one or two sections going by so quickly and without remark that I found it hard to decipher what they were.

The show also never seems to decide quite clearly what their subject matter is. At the start of the show the proclaimed intent seems to be examining the evolving perception of prostitution throughout history, but what emerges seems to be more a comment on attitudes towards women and femininity in general rather than prostitution. While this is certainly not a problem in itself, not making the focus of the work clear only serves to add to the audience’s confusion. The inclusion of three dancers (Alexander Bryce, Patrick Weir and Thomas Johansson) as bit players to Meow Meow and Breen’s escapades, while wonderful in their dancing and delivering good performances, never seem adequately utilized enough to justify having them in the show.

The only few moments that work and connect with the audience are those where Meow Meow is left alone onstage to simply sing – in these moments, she is tender, heart-breaking and most importantly real. In the finale where Meow Meow sings about the troubles of modern times, a line about ‘building a wall’ around her heart becomes an uncomfortably contemporary parallel to the path of current politics.

Tis Pity feels like it needs re-structuring and reconsideration of its overall message before it can truly work as a theatrical piece, but having a star such as Meow Meow back on our stage is a delight worth savouring.

Venue: Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, 31 Sturt St, Southbank

Dates: 4 – 8 February

Times: 7:30pm

Tickets: $118 – $30

Bookings: melbournerecital.com.au, (03) 9699 3333

Image by Karl Giant

Cabaret, Festivals, Review

Midsumma Festival 2017: BABY GOT BACK

It’s all about the bass

By Myron My

It’s time to honour the ass with this year’s Midsumma Festival show Baby Got Back. This one-hour burlesque-circus-performance art all-female homage to the derrière is an uninhibited celebration of woman. Slut-shaming or any degradation of women – whether by males or females – is not permitted here, where women are able to take pride in and control of their own bodies. Burlesque performers and producers of Baby Got Back, Vesper White and Frankie Valentine, ensure their show empowers women while entertaining the audience with some creative and ingenious performances.

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The show begins strongly with a montage of scenes from various cartoons, movies and social media clips of bums, which is a great reminder of how the human posterior has been used and perceived by society. The opening performance has three artists appear wearing elaborate monstrous “pussy” cat costumes, wearing large heart-shaped collars branded with “dyke” on one, “slut” on another and “whore” on the third. By the end of the performance, these collars are ripped of and from there, it’s a no-holds-barred booty-focused revelry.

Joining Vesper and Frankie on the stage are fellow burlesque performers Miss Jane Doe and 2016 Miss Burlesque Australia Bella de Jac. Rolling out the cast is our mischievous MC, Sydney’s Queen of Crude Memphis Mae, who ensures that the performers and the audience behave themselves – to an extent. Through her hilarious powers of persuasion she is even able to work up the entire crowd to get them to participate in “The Great Mooning”.

While all the acts have a strong push for body positivity, there are some that succeed in doing this better than other acts. The skipping-rope performance involving Doe, de Jac and White has a simultaneous air of childhood innocence – before women are bombarded with societal expectations on how they should look or present themselves – with a sense of liberation and rebelliousness in having these naked bodies be embraced and admired. The cheeky re-imagining of Celine Dion’s chart topping ballad “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” is another highlight of the show, with its rich mix of humour and feminism.

Reminiscent of a Finucane and Smith show, Baby Got Back is also savvy enough to find the right balance of entertainment while pushing its message. Through its burlesque, comedy, circus, puppetry and dance, it encourages women to love their bodies and seeks to create an environment where women from all backgrounds can be accepted and free to be themselves.

Baby Got Back was performed at The Melba Spiegeltent between 2 – 4 February 2017.

Cabaret, Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

Midsumma Festival 2017: FREE ADMISSION

Wise, witty, and built to break down boundaries

By Myron My

It’s been eight years since I first saw Ursula Martinez performing in London and was introduced to her hilarious tongue-in-cheek humour. Presented as part of this year’s Midsumma Festival, Martinez returns to the stage with Free Admission, a show full of her unique comedy stylings which has us questioning how our thoughts and choices can easily prevent us from leading the life we desire, while also wittily providing a literal lesson in construction for us.

free-admission

Martinez’s delivery is well-paced. with an intentional air of awkwardness as she initially explains in a slow speech, as if what she is sharing about life is taboo and shouldn’t be spoken about. As the show progresses the confidence in her voice begins to pick up and find her a new rhythm. While a small portion of the dialogue is quite jarring (and perhaps that is her intention), the majority gives Martinez the opportunity to open up amusingly but affectingly about her insecurities, hopes, fears and disappointments.

As she shares these with us, Martinez begins to build an actual wall between herself and her audience, further emphasising this idea of being caged in or locked up with your own thoughts and shutting out the world and other people. With America’s current attempts to build a wall along the border of Mexico, this is quite a powerful topical element of the show, and while Free Admission does not explicitly reference this, it is still poignantly political with reference to gender and sexuality, refugees, feminism and equality.

The last two concerns are further addressed with Martinez’s outfit; wearing a black top with a crisp white pant-suit and her hair tied up in a bun, she dons a pair of dirty work-gloves and begins constructing her wall. Appearances can be deceiving and Martinez is all about breaking preconceived notions and ideas.

By the end, Martinez shows the freedom and joy of breaking through the walls in our lives in a finale that is uplifting and positive. Free Admission is a well-crafted and intelligent comedy show that is busy building up big ideas and deconstructing important issues: it has a lot to say, and a whole lot more to love and think about.

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Rd, Southbank
Season: Until 5 February | Fri 9:15pm, Sat 3pm and 6:30pm, Sun 5pm
Tickets: $35 – $45
Bookings: Midsumma Festival

Cabaret, Festivals, Review

Midsumma Festival 2017: PLAYING TO WIN

Witty, winsome – and definitely winning

By Myron My

Ash Flanders is confessedly one confused performer as he struggles to stay optimistic in a society and industry that like to chew people up before spitting them out in an instant. Presented as part of this year’s Midsumma Festival, Playing To Win has Flanders – in a wonderful kitten leotard – holding his cabaret audience hostage as he recalls the lowlights and the lower-lights of being in said industry, resulting in an evening of great songs and engaging storytelling.

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For the most part, Flanders draws on his own personal experiences with fame and success – including a tragically hilarious story involving Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy – but he also looks at the idolisation of reality-TV-star celebrities, particularly those who are famous for no discernible reasons. His send-up of Gina Liano’s “Gina” perfume ad is a great touch in emphasising his frustrations at slipping down the black hole of failure.

Admirably supported by musical director Dave Barclay and band Artistic Difference, Flanders has a select choice of songs that are used cleverly to colour and characterise his stories, including memorable performances of “Ride Like The Wind” by Christopher Cross and “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” by Celine Dion. The final song of the night (which is better as a surprise) succeeds in bringing his story full circle and includes some brilliant audience interactions.

Flanders does give his all in Playing To Win, and while it is full of satisfying sarcasm and cheeky comedy, there is an emotional aspect to his storytelling and a genuine openness in what he shares with us. In one way, his humour can be see as a defence mechanism on display, further highlighting his vulnerability. While Flanders might “only” be performing in the smallest venue at the Arts Centre, he is definitely destined for bigger things and bigger rooms, and Playing To Win is profound evidence of that.

Playing To Win was performed at Arts Centre Melbourne between 27 – 29 January 2017.

Cabaret

The Butterfly Club Presents SUBURBAN GOTHIC

Fearsomely funny and frighteningly familiar…

By Myron My

Cabaret doesn’t get more macabre and twisted than in Suburban Gothic. There is definitely “some spooky shit going down” in the show, but what makes it even more unnerving is that it is all apparently taking place just down the road from where you live – or even closer to home… 

suburban-gothic

What initially seem like charming and innocuous cabaret songs soon turn grim and morbid at the masterful musical hands of writers Karlis Zaid, Mark Jones and Karin Muiznieks. The songs and a torrid trio of stories cleverly expose the dark underbelly of the suburbs in wry and witty ways, with no topic taboo. 

Thus, a happy inner-city-dwelling couple head off to a friend’s house in Caroline Springs only to become frustrated and panicked upon getting lost in the ‘burbs, a “proud” father-of-the-bride gives a heartfelt wedding speech to his daughter and her “terrorist” husband Miguel, and two strangers at a park battle it out as to who is the prouder parent. 

Performers Aurora Kurth, Zaid, and Jones all have strong commanding voices on stage, well-crafted characterisation, and Kurth and Zaid’s duets are especially impressive. Jones accompanies these original songs on piano with his usual aplomb, and the numbers create an intended atmosphere of apprehension and uncertainty when arrangements of mostly upbeat “happy” music contrast unsettlingly with the grim and satisfyingly satirical tone of the lyrics.

Meanwhile, the settings of each song and scene are successfully constructed with minimal set pieces and a few quick wardrobe changes, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the performance. This is all supported by Steven Gates’ simple but meaningful direction of the cast, and the neat and discrete lighting effects. 

It’s a complex mixture of feelings when Suburban Gothic ends. It’s a highly entertaining and ruthlessly funny and clever show, it’s also quite relentless in digging deeper and deeper into the things we usually would rather not think about or want to be confronted with. When the nervous laughter has subsided, we can of course take comfort, however, in knowing that it was just a show and these sorts of things don’t happen here. After all, as the trio say on stage, it’s all mostly satire. Mostly. 

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne
Season: Until 29 January | Fri – Sun 8:30pm
Tickets: $32 Full | $28 Conc
Bookings: The Butterfly Club

Cabaret, Festivals, Review

Midsumma Festival 2017: ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS

Good celebrity siblings come in threes…

By Myron My

There are not too many people in the world who do not know who Kylie Minogue is. And the same could be said for her sister Dannii Minogue. But what about Erin Minogue? That’s right, the other, other Minogue sister who has also seeking her own piece of the fame pie. Presented as part of this year’s Midsumma Festival,  On A Night Like This: The Erin Minogue Experience focuses on the youngest Minogue sibling who is given her moment to shine in this well-crafted and stylish comedy cabaret about the true story of a fictitious person.

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Written by Chris Gist and Paul Kooperman with Lizzie Moore (who also performs as Erin), we are taken through the decades of the Minogue sisters’ lives and it is revealed what Erin’s role in each significant moment was or what the reason was for her absence. When it comes to the case of Young Talent Time for example, while all three were originally booked to audition, Erin had a doctor’s appointment she had to go to due to her mother’s concern of her unusual growth spurt…

The stories within each period are entertaining funny with a great mix of songs from the Minogue sisters, including “This Is It” by Dannii and “I Believe In You” by Kylie. Accompanying Erin on stage is her sassy and talented pianist, D’Arren (like L’Oreal – aka Brad Rush), who also joins in for a few notable songs. Erin’s recollections are sharp and witty with some brilliant one-liners and apart from a slight drop during the 00’s period, the story is tight and told with a purpose.

Moore is engaging on stage and her animated re-telling of these natty narratives feels genuine and convincing, as if Erin actually was indeed there. And if her words are not believable enough, there is a slideshow throughout the show with clever photographic ‘evidence’. Just like the Minogues, Moore also has an impressive voice, whereupon she is able to take the sisters’ hits and – with some pleasing musical arrangements by Anthony Costanzo – make the songs her own.

So while Erin may not be as famous as her sisters or have their international success, she still has things to be proud of, such as getting to run her very own dance school, the Erin Minogue Fame School in Frankston… On A Night Like This is a fresh, fun and enjoyable cabaret show about reaching for the stars, even if they seem too far away.

On A Night Like This: The Erin Minogue Experience was performed at Chapel Off Chapel between 20 – 21 January 2017.

Image by Joel Devereux

Cabaret, Festivals, Musical Theatre

Midsumma 2017: A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS

Merrily murdering music theatre for Midsumma

By Myron My

Who doesn’t love the glitz, glamour and grandness of a musical showtune? Presented as part of this year’s Midsumma Festival, A Night at the Musicals starring Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo showcases the vocal talents of these two world-famous artists, as they take us through a select number of songs from some of the finest musicals that have existed – but with an added shake of camp and a shimmy of cheek.

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We are advised at the very beginning that this is a performance where musical theatre goes to die. The two have a highly energised presence and through rather tenuous links of somewhat aimless banter, introduce us to each song. Dressed in some shiny and often dazzling outfits, they take clever advantage of their differences in physical appearance and singing style, as each is given the opportunity to shine (and outshine the other) through their chosen repertoire.

As per the show’s cheeky premise, there are times where Gateau and Jonny hum or mumble their way through the “powerful” parts of the song, or will interject a quick comment while the other is singing, thus attempting to “murder” the song. In context these devices worked well, but within the actual performance it sometimes pulled me out of the moment and I confess I would almost have preferred to just have them sing the songs for me to enjoy, and leave those comic opportunities for between numbers.

However there are still a number of real vocal highlights from the evening, including their captivating duet “I Know Him So Well” from Chess; and while I am not a Disney fan, the performance of my favourite-ever Disney song, the titular title from Beauty and the Beast was orchestrated brilliantly with the right level of cheekiness and arrogance.

I admit A Night at the Musicals might not have got me jumping off my seat ready to belt out some show-tunes but it was certainly a fun and entertaining show from Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo who will perform a variety of musical show-stoppers for you with great panache and plenty of charm.

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Rd, Southbank
Season: Until 22 January | Thurs – Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm
Tickets: $44.90 A-Reserve |Premium $49

Bookings: Midsumma Festival

Cabaret, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Clock and Spiel Productions Presents THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS

Better the devil you know

By Philip Edwards

C.S.Lewis is well known today for his series of seven novels for children Chronicles of Narnia, especially since some of the books have been made into very successful movies. But before that. he came to fame with his classic satirical masterpiece The Screwtape Letters, first published in February 1942.

the-screwtape-letters

Hailey McQueen (director, producer and writer) has brilliantly adapted the “Letters” to the stage in what is a most entertaining and engaging production. As a longtime lover of all of C.S.Lewis’ works, I was both greatly looking forward to this play and wondering how a series of letters could be made into a full-scale production. I was not disappointed. McQueen has not only presented the wonderful insights into human nature that Lewis is famous for, but she has managed to inject humour and fun into what could have been rather dry if handled differently. From the very outset the audience was captivated and enthusiastic.

The show opens with the demon Screwtape (Yannick Lawry) assisted by Toadpipe a lesser devil (George Zhao), addressing a gathering of junior tempters in Hell at the annual dinner of the Tempter’s Training College for Young Devils. This is part of a speech taken from “Screwtape Proposes a Toast”, Lewis’ 1959 sequel to the Letters which first appeared as an essay in the Saturday Evening Post.This was a clever move by McQueen as it serves to introduce the role of Screwtape as a master Tempter whose job is to guide his nephew, Wormwood, in his task of tempting a young man who is in danger of becoming a Christian.

From then on Screwtape dictates letters, addressed to Wormwood, via Toadpipe which are then sent by some fiendish mailing system (wonderful sound and lighting effects), whereupon a reply is received which prompts another letter. The process appears quite simple, but the added humorous antics of the somewhat dimwitted Toadpipe ensure that there is never a dull moment.

Lawry and Zhao are the only actors on stage, and they are both there for the entire 80-90 minutes of the performance without a break. Lawry delivers the text of the letters with great skill and fluency. His performance is flawless and I was awed by the dedication that was required to memorise practically the whole book.  Occasionally Screwtape allows Toadpipe (Zhao) to present a section of his letter to Wormwood, sometimes as a blackboard lecture,which has the whole audience laughing at full volume. Screwtape’s frustration with Toadpipe and his antics results in some quite violent treatment of the poor creature which are staged beautifully (at one point Toadpipe’s head is jammed in a stool) and provide a dynamic relief to the dictation phases of the presentation.  Toadpipe is clearly bored by his miserable existence and does a variety of crazy stunts to break the monotony of his life of servitude. Zhao excels in this role and is a delight to the whole audience.

The theatre was packed with people of all ages from twenty-something to eighty-something and we were completely engaged the whole time.   The whole production team is to be congratulated on a memorable and captivating show that has brought the brilliant wit and insights of C.S.Lewis to the stage and to even greater accessibility for a modern generation.

The music, sound and light effects when each letter is delivered are wonderful.  Adam Jones (music and sound design) and Ben Anshaw (lighting design) are to be commended, for what they did fitted the mood perfectly.  I particularly liked the little tune that tied the production together: it had the right balance of quirkiness and lightheartedness that kept the show from being a heavy “lecture”-type of production that could easily have occurred when presenting a series of letters.

If I have any complaint it would be that the season is not long enough.  I recommend that you do all that you can to get to see it before it ends this weekend.  Forget the Christmas shopping.  This is more important.

(If you do miss it in Melbourne it is moving to Canberra next week.  That’s not too far to drive!)

The Screwtape Letters is now on at The Loft Theatre, Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran until Saturday 17th December 2016.  Bookings: Ph. 03 8290 7000.  More information at: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au

Cabaret, Circus, Performances, Whats On

Arts Centre Melbourne Presents BRIEFS

In short? – revealing in all the right ways…

By Myron My

Having seen Briefs last year in an upstairs room of the Athenaeum, I was more than eager to see them again for their short return Melbourne season. The six talented performers covering (or uncovering) burlesque, circus, drag and everything else in between, were a highlight of my theatre experiences last year and after seeing their show on Tuesday night, remains a highlight for this year as well.

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Led by the charismatic and engaging bearded lady Shivannah (alter ego of ringmaster Fez Fa’anana), the performances are nothing short of mesmerizing, but also laugh-out-loud hilarious and with plenty of skin on display – it is called Briefs for a reason, after all.

While some acts are the same as last year (which is to be expected for a return season), they are still incredibly entertaining to watch. With no lulls throughout, it is extremely difficult to choose a favourite performance , however Thomas Worrell‘s erotically-charged silks routine to Jarryd James’ “Do You Remember”, Evil Hate Monkey‘s uproarious banana skits, and the breathtaking finale by Captain Kidd (Mark Winmill) that just needs to be seen again and again, stick firmly in mind. The group acts also bring huge energy into the room, including a well-choreographed performance to Crooker’s “Royal T” showcasing the talents of drag queen (and brilliant costume designer for Briefs) Dallas Dellaforce, along with Shivannah, Worrell and Captain Kidd.

As Shivannah explains at one point, Briefs is a little bit political, a little bit idiotic and a little bit disco but it is also a celebration of being different and embracing that diversity. The entire show raises questions as to what masculinity and femininity mean and can mean, and creates an environment that is very much a joyous blurring of gender and sex.

It’s been nine years since Briefs came together and if this return season is anything to go by, this artist-driven collective is going from strength to strength. With a thumping soundtrack, slick production values and inventive acts, you had better book your tickets sooner rather than later because Briefs is only on for a brief time.

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne
Season: until 18 December | 7:30pm, Fri – Sat additional show at 10.30pm
Tickets: $65 Premium | $60 A Reserve
Bookings: Arts Centre Melbourne

Cabaret, Review, Theatre, Whats On

Christopher Samuel Carroll in EARLY GRAVE, FASHIONABLY LATE

Erudite, eloquent and deliciously fast and funny

By Joana Simmons

 Wax your moustaches and tighten your bowties, the dandiest and most daring storyteller has made his way across shores, through jungles and fantastical places to grace The Butterfly Club for one week only. Early Grave, Fashionably Late is a rollicking, rousing, intellectual one-man show set in the Victorian era – a time of tweed and all things twee. Writer-performer Christopher Samuel Carroll is Bennet Cooper Sullivan; fearless explorer, raconteur a charming gentleman, a reluctant detective. He creates a wondrous world with the most colorfully-crafted language I have heard in a while: it’s almost word-porn.

Early Grave Fashionably Late.jpg

Opening with an epic adventure soundtrack and an equally epic moustache, Carroll’s experience as a physical performer is clearly defined. The wordy beginning is not for the slow-witted, so make sure you are on the ball and ready to roll with it as the words drip off his tongue like the smoothest cognac. The ever-so-charming Bennet Cooper Sullivan passes his business card to the ladies in the audience and tells us he is a man of the world, having been to lost civilizations and secret passages, and wound up in Dublin, 1889, where our story takes place. We are darted from word to world, memory to moment, guided by Carroll’s energetic and expressive storytelling and physicality. The plot thickens, amusing asides and witty one-liners leave us in laughter and keep us on the edge of our seats. Without giving too much away, there is blackmail, adultery, murder, lions, cigars and a hilariously mimed penny-farthing chase. Carroll’s finesse is like I’ve never seen and this show is truly classy comedy. Tongue-in-cheek moments abound, but it is so refreshing to see that the art form of wit and fabulous writing is still alive.

It takes a lot of skill to turn a bare stage into a wonderful world and hold an audience’s attention for just less than an hour. The lighting did a wonderful job in transporting us into dens, parks and underwater. I think sound could have taken the show to another dimension – Carroll’s language and physicality did a lot, but sounds like wind in the trees or the hustle of a Dublin cock-fight could make it a full sensory experience. Similarly, Bennet Cooper Sullivan looked delightfully dapper in a three-piece tweed suit; though some more finery such as pocket watch, a real journal instead of a mimed one and perhaps some more ‘things’ onstage, could help give the look of the show extra polish: plus, a handkerchief wouldn’t have gone astray on a scorching Tuesday like the one upon which the show opened.

I am astonished by the amount of work that Carroll has invested to give the characters so much depth and deliver such a wordy script at such a high intensity and maintained throughout the show. I do feel there could have been more time for pauses and breath however, for us the audience to digest (as most monologues are certainly meaty) and for Carroll to give more dynamic and variety in his delivery. That being said, the story structure itself was flawless.

Any fans of Oscar Wilde, Sherlock Holmes, or even Stephen Fry will delight and gush at this show. Writers, readers and story-believers: those who are sick of the song-story-song-story-joke-song-story one-person shows must get along to this fresh and fascinating creation spit-spot. There’s a show in Canberra on Dec 20th, and Early Grave, Fashionably Late on in Melbourne till Saturday. Book now.

Dates: 13 – 17 December

Time: 8:30pm

Cost: $25-32

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

Tickets: thebutterflyclub.com