Category: Festivals

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Stand-Up Comedy, Whats On

Review: WIL ANDERSON is Wilarious

Melbourne Comedy Festival fare at its finest

By Myron My

The first thing I noticed when Wil Anderson came on stage to perform his 2012 Melbourne International Comedy Festival show Wilarious, were the missing presence of thongs.

I have seen Wil perform five times and each time he has never worn proper shoes. I felt this was going to be a very different show with him standing in front of a room full of people – except for the two empty seats front row center  (their loss) – wearing shoes!

The beauty of Wil is that much of what he says has probably happened to many people, but it’s stuff that hardly anyone is willing to admit in a public forum. Put your hand up if you would happily (ok, maybe not happily) admit that “someone once fell asleep as I was going down on them”. Didn’t think so. But Wil does. And despite the subject matter, he doesn’t allow it get into crass territory, a trap into which so many others fall into.

Much of Wilarious does however draw on current issues and social commentary. There a perfect blend of seriousness and humour in what Wil has to say: from gay marriage rights to teaching kids that life isn’t always fair and not having them believe everyone comes up a winner all the time. There is truthfulness and reality to what Wil is saying and with his unique blend of story-telling and humour, and it makes for some poignant moments too – followed by fits of laughter.

Wil tells us that his mantra in life is that if you hear something negative, turn it into a positive. Sadly, it cannot be done in this circumstance as Wil is in top form delivering the right amount of laughs with the right amount of thinking and intellect. Wilarious met and exceeded expectations, reminding me why Wil Anderson is still considered as one of the best Australian stand-up comedians today.

VENUE
The Comedy Theatre
Cnr Exhibition & Lonsdale Sts, Melbourne
DATES
28 March – 15 April
TIMES
29 Mar-15 Apr Tue-Sat 8.45pm
Sun 6.15pm
PRICES
Full Sat $40
Full Wed-Fri & Sun $36
Concession $30 (N/A Fri & Sat)
Bookings: http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals

REVIEW: Simon Taylor’s 10 THINGS I KNOW ABOUT YOU

Fall in love with laughter!

By Adam Tonking

Every now and then a show comes along that you can’t help but fall in love with. One of the many joys of reviewing is that I get to write a love letter to it.

I admit it, I have a crush on 10 Things I Know About You, written and performed by Simon Taylor.

On the surface, this show is about psychology, a topic that clearly fascinates Taylor. He takes us through the psychology of morality, delusion, love, comedy, and ultimately happiness; but this is first and foremost a comedy routine, and it is hilarious.

Taylor sings to us, he dances for us, he regales us with stories from his life and quotes from his psychology textbook. He is so delightful, and so very talented, that you can’t resist being drawn into his upbeat exploration of the human mind.

In between the constant laughs and all the psychology, this is a cleverly-crafted show. Taylor is in complete control of his audience and his material the entire time; no line is superfluous, no joke misses its mark. Even when it’s informative, it never ceases to be funny. And through all of his antics, he never strays from the flow of his narrative arc.

The various butts of his jokes were sometimes a little too obvious, but he comes at them from a fresh perspective, and keeps them contextual. It never feels like pandering, or playing for cheap laughs.

All of this builds to an amazing finale of such simplicity and brilliance it blows you away. You leave the show with a smile on your face and a spring in your step, and – if you’re me – head home to write a love-letter to it.

Taylor’s show is magnificent, and I dare you to see it and not come out feeling better about the world. And a little bit in love.

But enough gushing like a schoolgirl. Simon Taylor’s 10 Things I Know About You is on at The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank St, South Melbourne from Wednesday 28 March till Sunday 22 April, at 8pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, and 9pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Book at www.thebutterflyclub.com, and do it now.

Cabaret, Editorial, Events, Festivals, Opportunities, Performances, Whats On

Last Few Days To SAVE MELBOURNE CABARET FESTIVAL!

Geoffrey Rush already gave the shirt off his back…

Literally! Melbourne Cabaret Festival is desperate to raise the $15000 that will allow it to go ahead this year, and Geoffrey Rush offered his support with a limited addition Pirates of the Caribbean t-shirt being donated to the prize draw.

Although the t-shirt was soon won by a happy contributor, there are still lots of exciting offers for you to win when supporting this great campaign.

The unique reward list on the ‘crowdfunding’ website Pozible includes a wide variety of free tickets and memberships, a personalised caricature (only one left!), a private supper booth in the famous Spiegeltent, your own personal piano man for an evening, or a recorded bedtime story (!), a free burlesque class  or even a house cabaret!

With exceptional Melbourne and international cabaret artists like Amanda Palmer, Sammy J and Randy, Kaye Sera, Trevor Jones, Karin Muiznieks, Luke Escombe, Anne Edmonds and The Jane Austen Argument offering their services, your donation to save this year’s Melbourne Cabaret Festival immedately becomes an exciting prize pack: nothing like supporting a good cause and getting an fanastic reward of your choice!

However, this is THE LAST WEEK of the campaign, so if you don’t get in quick, not only do we miss out on once again rejoicing in one of the most vibrant, diverse and extraordinary music and performance festivals in Australia – you also miss out on your chance for a once-in-a-lifetime prize.

Cabaret in Melbourne has a well-earned reputation for exceptional and exciting performers and performances, and in recent years, the Melbourne Cabaret Festival has been the premiere showcase for the greatest local and international cabaret stars have to offer.

We don’t want to lose this!

Check out the campaign and the rewards for yourself HERE! 

Save Melbourne Cabaret Festival!

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

Review: EMMA CLAIR FORD in Butterscotch

“Fall down seven times, get up eight”

By Maxine Montgomery

The quotation is a good motto we should all take into life, and one that Emma Clair Ford has taken to heart in writing her latest solo cabaret work, Butterscotch.

At the top of the show, Ms Ford entered the show room of the Butterfly Club with a great deal of poise and a dash of mystery, silently stalking down the centre aisle towards the intimate stage.

With her entrance, she created a mood of intrigue and simplicity all at once. She gave away nothing and kept the audience fully engaged as she took us on a journey, on “an adventure within an adventure”.

Ms Ford has crafted a very clever and well-structured script, and at all times, she was in control of its pace and delivery. Her careful choice of words painted very vivid pictures of childhood memories, tales of an oft-broken heart, and time in foreign lands.

I very much enjoyed her repeated use of one scenario, presented in two entirely different veins, to bookend a climactic moment of the show.

The music Ms Ford has chosen throughout the cabaret is so well matched to the progression of the through line that the songs could have been purpose written for the show.  Myself, I will never again be able to listen to “Six Months in a Leaky Boat” in quite the same way!

Emma Clair’s voice is clear, well controlled, and most adaptable in handling the music of the show. Her versatility extends from a music theatre belt to a sweet, pure tone which she introduced as she sang “Vieni a mia diletto” (Come, my delight) – the song was a perfect choice as she told of her desire to visit Juliet’s famous balcony in Verona.

Butterscotch is a unique cabaret, expertly created and delivered. Ms Ford deserves every success as she takes this show across to the 2012 Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival this month.

The second and final Melbourne preview is on Wednesday February 22nd at 8pm at the Butterfly Club in South Melbourne, but look out for details of another Melbourne season later in the year.

For tickets, please visit http://thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Performances

REVIEW: Candice McQueen is NASTY

A hot night and an hilarious show

By Jessica Cornish

Candice McQueen has ‘been a lotta places, seen a lotta faces, and fucked a lotta races.’

The immortal demi-god who watched the crucifixion of Christ and chilled with the ancient pharaohs of Egypt told the tale of her 90’s love affair to a packed opening night Butterfly Club crowd last week.

Nasty is a brand new work performed by Spanky (Candice McQueen). This tranny superstar previously worked in London’s famous Bistrotheque for seven years and was proud to present her new show at The Butterfly Club as part of the 2012 Midsummer Festival.

The Mister Sister (with a fluro-pink wig dangling over her shoulders, and a malfunctioning glittering false eyelash threatening to crush her right eye) kept her hot and sweaty audience laughing all night.

The opening rap was followed by a hilarious narrative of her secret birth in front of an array of silver baboons, since her mother with a fleeting Asian/Spanish accent was tragically dying of a melting heart, and was forced to hand the small child over to an African monkey to raise as his own.

Initially the show, Nasty, was equally quite hard to follow. Hilarious, certainly – however, it wasn’t clear where the show as a whole was going. Fifteen minutes into the piece we finally learn of her love for a man named River, and the show begins to explore their naughty nineties relationship of love, loss, love and loss once more.

In between Candice’s spoken monologues of her experiences with River were splashes of songs accompanied by her acoustic guitarist/ukele player, Kylie. With her long black hair, purple glasses and loose fitted t-shirt she sat quietly in the corner awaiting her moments to shine. Occasionally Kylie also provided harmonic vocal lines to Candice’s songs which lifted the musical pieces significantly. Their voices blended together beautifully, and gave the musical pieces a whole new energy and vibrancy.

Whilst the musical composition of Nasty was nonetheless fairly uninventive, the banter in between the numbers made up for the lack of musical genius. Stand-out moments were Candice proving that the lovable Jack from Titanic was in fact a gay lad unfairly manhandled by a frumpy and loud Rose, and her segments retelling the loss of River in a risqué night club where her famous Australian father was DJ’ing at the time. 

Finally the show did demonstrate to its audience that the only point of human life was for all of us to find love, be loved and love in return, proved to be a great night out, and the sweaty audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Nasty was part of the the Midsumma Festival at The Butterfly Club.

Dates: 31 Jan – 5 Feb

Times: Tue, Wed & Sun 8pm, Thu-Sat 9pm

Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Neil Pigot in WHITELEY’S INCREDIBLE BLUE

A dreamscape of art and addiction

By Anastasia Russell-Head

The subtitle of this play is very apt: “an hallucination”… hallucinatory by name, hallucinatory by nature. Given its subject-matter – one of Australia’s most famous artists, infamous for his addictions – the poetic, dreamlike nature of this show is a tribute in form as much as it is in its substance.

Beginning at the end, as it were, in the motel room in Thirroul where he died, the dead Brett Whiteley muses over his life and art. Neil Pigot is superb as Whiteley, alternately celebrating and regretting, remembering and forgetting, drug-addled and lucid.

Barry Dickins, the playwright, describes his script as a “magical monologue”, where “the words are a poetic synthesis of his own experimental paranormal paragraphs, his own ‘unlanguage’; if you like”. Words are used for their pictorial and evocative sense, and mostly this is extremely effective at conjuring up the decadent, swirling exuberance of Whiteley’s visual world – without actually showing any of his artworks.

In fact, visually this production is very sparse, with a sparing use of projections creating surreal imagery like blue tendrils slowly covering Whiteley as he speaks about the effect of heroin, and the neon “no vacancy” sign of the budget motel flickering into life outside the window.

The least effective aspect of this show for me was the use of voice-over, narrating impossible stage directions. Supposedly an attempt to add to the hallucinatory nature of the piece, this really detracted from the strength and power of the lone actor and the poetry of the text. For me this filled in the gaps too much, rather than leaving it to the imagination.

With an excellent musical score played live by the Calvert George Fine trio, this production is at once mesmerising and incomprehensible – as every good hallucination should be.

The premiere of Whiteley’s Incredible Blue is playing for the Melbourne Festival until Sunday 23 October

Fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Times: Tuesday to Sun 8pm, Fri & Sat 8pm & 10pm

 Tickets: $40-$45

Bookings: 03 9662 9966

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Anne Wilson in WHAT I DID FOR LOVE

The content is familiar, but the charm is undeniable

By Adam Tonking

Boy meets Girl. Girl falls in love with Boy. Boy runs screaming. This is how relationships work, right?

This is the premise of Sydney-based performer Anne Wilson‘s cabaret What I Did For Love, a startling exploration of what a girl will do when all she really wants is to be loved, and how far she will go to achieve it.

From the moment Wilson steps onto the stage, her pathos is clear and painful – this is a woman who has loved unendurably, and she’s here to tell you about the men who didn’t understand.

Through a series of eclectic song choices – everything from Queen to Hunters and Collectors, this is the journey of making the same mistake over and over in the quest for romance, and indeed, it seems Wilson will do anything for love.

Wilson is clearly an amazing performer. The story is set out in a series of vignettes, with Wilson shining in every song and making every story personal and convincing. Her lovely voice never loses its control of the material even while she’s breaking down emotionally on stage.

Under the watchful eye of music director and accompanist Steven Kreamer, who provides some beautiful arrangements and stands in for the various cads in Wilson’s life, the words and songs flowed seamlessly into each other, never pausing for laughs or applause, and giving the story gravitas and urgency.

In fact, Kreamer’s awkward smile provides a wonderful counterpoint to Wilson’s manic performance. One of my favourite moments came early on when they sung together in their take on “Hernando’s Hideaway”.

I also admired Wilson’s use of the audience. Audience participation can be tricky and awkward, but with Wilson, she was so open and welcoming that it was easy to speak up and be included in her world, and her charm was perhaps one of the greatest strengths of the show.

While it was frustrating at times to hear about her making the same mistakes with all the men in her life, as an audience member you still wanted to help her not abandon her.

The ending arrives a little neatly and quickly, but provides one of the most honest moments of the show and I found myself genuinely moved.

This excellent show only has one more night, but Wilson hints of a move to Melbourne and the cabaret scene here will definitely be better for it, so I highly recommend rushing to see it to encourage her to stay with us.

Anne Wilson in What I Did For Love is on at The Butterfly Club as part of theMelbourne Fringe Festival, October 6th – 8th at 10.30pm.

Book at www.melbournefringe.com.au/fringe-festival/show/what-i-did-for-love or www.thebutterflyclub.com.

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Porcelain Punch Travelling Medicine Show

Porcelain Punch: It’s the pick of the bunch

By Deborah Langley

The Butterfly Club has been transformed from quirky little cabaret venue into a big top for the Porcelain Punch Traveling Medicine Show being performed as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival 2011.

The show begins in the style of a silent movie before our performers take to the stage to announce our evening’s sponsor (all great shows must have a great sponsor, right?)

This show is sponsored by Porcelain Punch If you haven’t heard of it, you will by the end of the night!

I personally am sold on its medically proven abilities: why, it’s the creme del a creme of health tonics, god bless!

The evening is hosted by two exceptional performers, MC Lenny (Luke O’Connor) & Miss Ellie Mae Rose (Madeline Hudson) who keeps the audience in wonderment as the proof of the punch is explored through the experiences of those who get to try just a sip. 

Hudson is a standout as she sings and accompanies most tunes and performs with the most wickedly expressive face that suits the era to a tee (oops, I mean ‘punch’).

Other highlights have to include when our MCs were able to cure a man from the audience of… (What was it he had? Gangrene?) One sip of the tonic and he was dancing a jig in perfect health.

Audiences are enchanted by some great sideshow characters and their unique approach to the ridiculous.

The ensemble including Alexander Gellman, Emilie Minks, Christy Flaws and Kate Boston Smith bring farcical humor, unique circus skills, hilarious satire and just a touch of magic to the stage in a night of old school entertainment at its best.

True to form, the Porcelain Punch Traveling Medicine Show is a gang of misfits that roll into town to perform their tricks with great enthusiasm and humor.

A brilliant show which I recommend you all brave the cold nights to see, before they blow out of town again.

Dates: Tues 27 Sept – Sun 2nd Oct

Times: Tues, Weds, Sun at 8pm – Thurs, Fri, Sat at 9pm

Tickets:$27, $24 conc, $23 groups 8+

The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank St, South Melbourne

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Festivals, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: ANA-LUCIA AND THE BARON (Episode One)

Bring on Episode Two!

By Bradley Storer

Lisa Nightingale returned with one final performance of her sell-out show, Ana-Lucia and the Baron: Episode One, previously seen at The Butterfly Club and brought back as part of the Butterfly @ Trades programme last night. Entering the stage to rapturous applause, Lisa began with an eerie Sondheim-style ode to her most treasured possessions: her precious diamonds (which Ana-Lucia repeatedly tells us she most certainly did not steal from the Baron!). From start to finish, the aptly-named Nightingale held the audience in the palm of her hand.

Playing the deliciously ditzy Frenchwoman Ana-Lucia, Nightingale is shamelessly entertaining in the best possible sense. Ana-Lucia is a saucy and cunning gold-digger in the mould of Lorelei Lee from Gentleman Prefer Blondes, a comparison highlighted by Ana-Lucia’s rendition of the classic ‘Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend’ (here hilariously chained onto Travie McCoy’s ‘Billionaire). Her dubious French origin later provides the basis for a side-splitting Edith Piaf send-up which skewers every French stereotype imaginable. The enormously self-dramatizing heroine returns home while recovering from amnesia brought about by a mysterious accident – in hot pursuit is the dreaded Baron, who may or may not be her former lover. Ana-Lucia is aided during her moments of lapse by her partner-in-crime, Juan Pablo (pianist Trevor Jones) who chimes in at the appropriate moment to trigger flashbacks and lost memories.

Nightingale is a strong singer, her voice ably handling a range of songs from Cole Porter to Lady Gaga. Jones proves an appealing comic partner to her brassy but forgetful persona. Nightingale’s occasional memory lapses (not all of them scripted, I think) were quickly integrated into the comic exchanges between the two players, actually making complete sense in the context of the amnesiac character.

The real strength of the show was Ana-Lucia’s interactions with the audience, cast as the guests at Ana-Lucia’s ‘welcome home’ party. Nightingale engaged the audience in treasure hunts, party games and sing-alongs to great comic effect. She even managed to make a running gag of the continuous stream of late-comers entering the show, who were then forced to come to the front of the stage to receive party bags and hats. With such a strong command of her audience, it’s no wonder this show has sold out three previous seasons.

However, this strength also becomes a weakness at points – beginning with a series of giggle-inducing plot twists, the story meanders towards the middle of the show as the emphasis shifts to audience participation. In particular the inclusion of a Beyonce number, however funny and charmingly performed, seems unnecessary and slows down the action.

This quickly changes towards the finale of the show, ending on a climatic cliff-hanger which promises interesting revelations for Episode Two.

Ana-Lucia and the Baron (Episode One)

The New Ballroom, Trades Hall

Thur Sept 29, 7:30pm

Cabaret, Events, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

ANA-LUCIA AND THE BARON: She’s Back in Melbourne!

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WOMAN?

She’s sassy, sexy, extremely dangerous – and totally hilarious!

That’s right, folks: THREE sell-out seasons clearly wasn’t enough for Melbourne’s favourite femme fatale!

With the ever-amazing Trevor Jones moonlighting at the piano as the enigmatic Juan Pablo, that mysterious and fabulous French con-woman Ana-Lucia is back for a final performance of her infamous comedy cabaret in a brand-new venue…

Ana-Lucia and the Baron (Episode One) is part of the special Fringe festival event (Butterfly @ Trades Hall) this month where our gorgeous and glamorous girl will be hosting her own welcome home party, and you and all her closest friends are invited!

 Not that she remembers who you are, of course… or more importantly who she is!

She seems to have lost her memory, but just between you and me, isn’t she being hunted down by the evil Baron, who may or may not be her one true love, over some diamonds that she may or may not have stolen?

So put the date in your diary, pour the champagne, pull out your party shoes (and hide your diamonds!) because for this unique one-night performance, Ana-Lucia herself has promised:

“Zis will be… ‘ow you say?? … a ‘oot!”

Let’s get this party started!

Date: Thur 29 Sept, 7:30pm

Venue: The New Ballroom, Trades Hall, Cnr Lygon & Victoria St, Carlton

Tickets: $24 / $21

Written by Lisa Nightingale
Directed by Kim Edwards
Accompanied by Trevor Jones