Cabaret, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Jacqui Dark and Kanen Breen are STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

Deliciously dirty cabaret

By Bradley Storer

Australian opera stars Jacqui Dark and Kanen Breen bring their delightfully perverted brand of dark cabaret to the Melbourne stage.  The diabolical duo, clothed in corsets and border-line S&M finery, storm the stage of The Butterfly Club and make clear from the outset their aim to both offend our sensibilities and entertain us at the same time. In their opening number Dark and Breen harness the operatic power of their voices in thrilling ways to deliver a roof-rattling Robbie Williams number, never apologising for their classical roots but finding a surprisingly comfortable middle ground between modern rock and opera.

Strange Bedfellows

The evening was an onslaught of confrontational sexuality, moral degradation and gasp-inducing humour that harkened back to the highly political and satirical origins of classic German cabaret, but always performed with a cheeky smile and a refusal to be serious. Topics ranged from the masculine/feminine dichotomy found in both men and women alike, a Germanic rendition of ‘Tainted Love’, an extended and uproarious rock opera/morality play about sexual fetishes too heinous to be mentioned here, all the way to a medley of the pair’s childhood songs which culminated in a simultaneously heart-rending and bone-chilling performance of the Dresden Dolls’ ‘Slide’.

Dark is an earthy, sensual presence onstage, using her commanding mezzo-soprano in a wide variety of styles and wielding her forthright and ribald sense of humour to maximum effect. Her tale of being classified as a ‘geriatric’ mother and the trials of IVF was a refreshingly sincere change of pace in the show that still managed to draw laughs even as it touched the hearts of the audience. Breen’s devilish grin and sinuous stage manner, along with a powerful and penetrating tenor, make him and Dark an ideal and complementary duo onstage. Together they drew the audience into depths of filth, lust and sin that terrified and titillated in equal measure. My only critique would be a slight loss of pace towards the end of the evening as more sincere material took over, losing some of the crackling and dynamic energy of the darkness which preceded it.

A terrific evening of classic Weimar-style cabaret from two accomplished local artists, Strange Bedfellows: Under the Covers sure to be savoured by those enjoy the darker and dangerous pleasures of life.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, Melbourne

Date: 18 – 22nd February
Time: 6pm Wednesday and Sunday, 7pm Thursday – Saturday
Tickets: At the door, www.thebutterflyclub.com
Price: Full $32, Concession $28, Members $26, Groups 8+ $25
Cabaret, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Malthouse Theatre Presents BLAK CABARET

Dynamic satire and stirring music meet

By Margaret Wieringa

Theatre under the stars. How delightful. The forecourt of the Malthouse Theatre has been transformed into an outdoor cabaret venue complete with small tables and a bar to one side. Relax, enjoy a drink and before you know it, the first group of performers are introduced; musicians Kutcha Edwards, Deline Briscoe, Bart Willoughby and Emma Donovan. But before you can get too comfortable with the tunes, the doors will spring open and there stands Queen Constantina Bush (Kamahi Djordon King), the first settler of the land, to claim this terra nullius.

Blak Cabaret_Photo Credit Pia Johnson

Queen Constantina and her sidekick, Nikki (Nikki Ashby) have taken rule of this country with the noble goal of saving the indigenous white population from themselves. Over a series of vignettes, their humour allows the audience to recognise just some of the unforgettable and unforgivable historical events of Australia by flipping the roles. Yes, it is political, and it is also hilarious.

And then.

“Close your eyes for just a minute. Imagine this place three hundred years ago.” In just a sentence, Edwards takes the audience from the laughter to a moving song with heart-tearing harmonies. And then, before we know it, reggae beats start, and then a kick-arse rap from Ashby. And throughout is King as Queen Constantina, in magnificent outfits, bringing back the laughs, and not pulling any punches.

Blak Cabaret is part of Southbank’s inaugural SummerSalt Outdoor Arts Festival, There are events happening until the 21st of February all around the area, but make sure you get to this wonderful show. Also, get there early; there is a beautiful barbeque that you can enjoy under the stars before the show starts. Oh, and don’t forget that it’s Melbourne, so take a jumper or two.

Blak Cabaret is playing at the Malthouse Theatre Forecourt until February 22. Tickets are $30-$60 and are available at https://tickets.malthousetheatre.com.au/ or call 9685 5111

Cabaret, Festivals, Review

REVIEW: Midsumma Festival’s FROM WHORE TO ETERNITY

But the tigers come at night

By Myron My

Sex worker. Call girl. Prostitute. Hooker. Lady of the night. In From Whore to Eternity, tribute is paid to these women and the cultural effect they’ve had, through various films, songs and stories.

 From Whore to Eternity

Ruth Katerelos and Heidi Weatherald play two sex workers who inform us and sing about “historical” women such as (Sweet) Charity, Mary Magdalene and Fantine, and how sex played a role in their lives.

The inherent problem with From Whore To Eternity is the writing. It would seem Cerise de Gelder is unable to find a balance between informing the audience and entertaining the audience. As such, we were bombarded with a number of scenes that were disjointed and clunky and struggled to retain our interest.

There were a good variety of songs chosen, ranging from rock to ballads and musical theatre classics. Unfortunately, it was the delivery of these songs that failed to hit the right notes. Neither performer had the vocal skill to do justice to many of these songs, especially when it comes to classics like “I Dreamed A Dream” that should therefore not have been touched. Their lack of vocal range and strength was apparent throughout and there was a strong need to project their voices.

The beacon of light in this show though was Weatherald’s performance of “I Don’t Know How To Love Him”. She managed to find some emotional connection with this song and found a good rhythm to carry the tune.

Special guest star for the evening Dolly Diamond, while entertaining, seemed out of place during the ‘break’ in From Whore To Eternity. She began chatting to audience members and cracking jokes, which left me wondering what exactly this had to do with the tribute to “the ladies of the night”. It’s almost as if de Gelder ran out of ideas and included a special guest to fill in the hour block.

There are so many great things From Whore to Eternity could have been, but sadly the only thing it will be in its current state is minimally entertaining, with many improvements needed on writing, direction and performance.

From Whore to Eternity was performed at The Butterfly Club as part of the 2015 Midsumma Festival.

Review, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Red Stitch Presents THE RITUAL SLAUGHTER OF GORGE MASTROMAS

The evils of success

By Caitlin McGrane

The opening of this interesting postmodern production is explicit in its scene setting: the five members of the ensemble cast explain the circumstances of Gorge Mastromas’ conception, birth and childhood. It is immediately apparent that this will be a performance that will both show and tell its protagonist’s story. Written by Dennis Kelly, the Australian premier of The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas is well executed by director Mark Wilson; the staging is highly stylistic and minimalist – sleek, sharp lines frame the performance space and projectors are gainfully employed to immerse the audience in Wilson’s vision.

The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas

Initially Gorge, excellently played by Richard Cawthorne, is unassuming and almost unbearably feckless. Then, after a particularly tense business deal, Gorge’s temperament changes; he becomes convinced that the only way to succeed is to live by three rules, all of which revolve around lying. The rest of the play unfurls while Gorge’s morals crumble and dissolve as he manipulates his way to personal and financial success.

The rest of the cast beautifully bring to life this darkly comic morality tale; Jordan Fraser-Trumble, Olga Makeeva and Dion Mills inject so much humour into the narration that the exposition rarely feels unnecessary or laborious. However, there are certainly moments where the play drags, particularly in the second act. The first travels at such a cracking pace that it was surprising over an hour had passed since we first entered the theatre; but this was sadly not repeated in the second act. This lack of continuity was distracting, yet the performance was saved by the strength of the script, and the combination of lighting (Clare Springett), sound and video design (Robert D Jordan). Red Stitch’s small performance space has been well utilised by stage manager Melissa Place.

There are some very, very dark themes in this play: scenes of suicide and child abuse, scenes with blood and implied violence. Never gratuitous, it wasn’t until the end of some scenes that I noticed my hands had formed tight fists. And that’s how I felt when I left the theatre, like I had been hit by a well-placed, well-timed punch to the gut.

The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas is showing at Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre until 7 March 2015. Tickets are $20-$39 available here: http://redstitch.net/bookings/.

Photo credit: Jodie Hutchinson

Festivals, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Midsumma Festival Presents BAD ADAM and PONY

Religion and evolution collide

By Myron My

On the surface, the double bill of Bad Adam and Pony during this year’s Midsumma Festival appears to be constrasting highly different pieces of work with distinct moods and tones. However both these shows leave us questioning what it means to be a gay man and how gay male sexuality is perceived both by society – but more importantly – by us.

Bad Adam_Pony

In Bad Adam, the title character (creator and performer Dosh Luckwell) spends his time in “Club Eden”, a sex on-premises venue, where we follow his various experiences and are privy to his thoughts during these moments. The overt religious imagery and themes throughout Bad Adam, such as the apples, the lit-up cross on the floor and our protagonist’s name for example, worked well in subtly exploring the idea of sexual repression and suppression and the conflict the two forms of pressure often present with each other.

Given Luckwell is the creator of the live art project Sex Poetry Booth, it is not surprising he has a way with words and the language used and the way it is presented in Bad Adam is indeed quite poetic and intriguing at times. Yet while we see a vulnerable, lonely and conflicted side to Adam, a number of scenes were too similar in execution. This lessened the impact of the overall work and impeded us in retaining an interest in Adam which, in a one-man show, is pivotal to its success.

The second part of this double bill, Jay Robinson’s Pony, looks at similar ideas of sex and sexuality but with fewer dark overtones than Bad Adam. Here, we see the evolution of man and then more specifically the evolution of a person exploring and experimenting and with his own sexuality.

Robinson has a strong presence on stage and this helps with his demanding physical performance. He uses his body to its full extent and fully commits to the moment, however there are a number highly obscure scenes that left me confused as to their purpose and significance, such as the moment when Robinson transforms into a dog.

The final moments of Pony though are quite positive and playful and the idea that once you are at ease with yourself and can be what you want to be, then there’s no reason to not feel complete and free.

Both Bad Adam and Pony offer some interesting thoughts and ideas on gay male sexuality but I felt they need to focus more on how they share these thoughts and ideas. With further development, these two pieces have the potential to be a profound commentary on the society and an important voice for the community in which gay men live.

Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda.
Season: Until 7 February | Fri 9pm, Sat 3pm and 7pm
Tickets: $23 Full | $18 Concession
Bookings: www.midsumma.org.au, http://www.theatreworks.org.au, or 9534 3388

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Whats On

REVIEW: The Butterfly Club Presents STRANGELY FLAMBOYANT

Quirky comic charm with cabaret combo

By Myron My

On stage for the first time together with their first-ever full length cabaret show Strangely Flamboyant, Claire Healy (Flamboyant: Like a Flame but Buoyant) and Strangely (Roaring Accordion) deliver an entertaining evening consisting of a mis- mash of clever and humorous performances, dialogue and songs.

Strangely Flamboyant

The two establish great camaraderie and bounce off each other well in repartee. Their ad-libbing with one another and with the audience allows their distinct personalities to shine through during the show and for a stronger relationship with us to be formed. This is further strengthened by the intimacy that the performance space at The Butterfly Club creates, so Healy and Strangely can connect with us very quickly.

Both performers have strong dynamic voices and they mix well together and with the accompanying instruments played throughout Strangely Flamboyant: the accordion, the ukulele and the bells. However, I would have loved to see more songs where they both let themselves go. At times, it seemed that just when they were about to transport us with their music or vocals, they pulled back. I especially felt this with Healy’s singing, of which I really wanted to hear more.

The show is filled with numerous genuinely lovely moments, such as when Healy and Strangely perform a song with a variety of bells as the music. The novelty coupled with some audience inclusion in the bell-playing and the sincerity of the lyrics make this number the highlight of this show.

Despite one or two moments that get a little flat, there are plenty of entertaining songs and interactions to make Strangely Flamboyant a whimsical cabaret worth seeing. The long applause at the end of the show was certainly well deserved and I will be eagerly anticipating this duo’s next creation.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 256 Collins St, Melbourne

Season: Until 8 February | Thurs-Sat 9:00pm, Sunday 8:00pm

Tickets: $32 Full | $28 Conc

Bookings: http://www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Performances, Theatre, Whats On

REVIEW: Paul Capsis in LITTLE BIRD

Fascinating fable enchants all

By Bradley Storer

Australian cabaret and musical theatre star Paul Capsis comes to Melbourne with Little Bird, a dark modern fairytale by playwright Nicki Bloom, with music and songs by Cameron Goodall and Quentin Grant.

Little Bird

Little Bird tells the story of a young boy named Wren, magically conceived by the fall of feather on a winter’s day, and his journey to find a missing parent as well as discover his own identity. Bloom’s writing thrillingly mines a vein of moral and sexual ambiguity to create a bewitching narrative that draws questions of gender, love and the essential idea of the self.

The show works best when it stays within the realm of the fantastical and fey – the first section of the show, interwoven with the voice of a mysterious and bird-like narrator, is intensely engaging in its sparse poetical prose that draws on all the tropes of fairy tales while twisting and subverting them in thrilling new ways. When the tale reaches a metropolitan city and touches on the story of a cross-dressing woodcutter, the narrative takes a turn into punk rock territory, reminiscent of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which although entertaining jars against the overall tone of the show in a way that makes it far less compelling.

Capsis himself is never less than completely spell-binding, his use of body and voice a masterclass in story-telling, summoning up all the characters with a simple shift in posture and voice while always maintaining the clarity of Wren’s own central development and journey reacting against these other characters. His androgynous rock-star charisma is used to great effect at various points, roaring glam-rock ballads that recall the work of Queen and David Bowie along with scintillating gypsy rhythms, but always finding the deep vulnerability and sadness of Wren to tear-inducing effect. The simple but surprisingly versatile set and incredibly nuanced lighting provided by Geoff Cobham must also be praised, responding to the mood and rhythm of the story in ways that heighten the drama and atmosphere invaluably.

This rich, luscious fable starring one of our best country’s best performers is truly an event not to be missed, drawing us into a dream-like, magical (but on some level, still achingly real) landscape that leaves the audience with the visceral and satisfying joy of a story well told.

Venue: Playhouse, The Arts Centre, 100 St Kilda Rd
Time: 8pm, 5pm Tuesday February 1st
Dates: 29th January – 4th February
Price: $49 Premium, $39 A-Reserve, $30 Under 30’s, Concession also available.
Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au, 1300 182 183, at the box office.
Comedy, Festivals, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Midsumma Festival’s THE SPARROW MEN

Impro duo take fantastic flight

By Narelle Wood

Marcus Willis and Andy Balloch are The Sparrow Men whom each night promise to take their audience on a completely unique, completely improvised adventure. Combining the audience suggestions of ‘tennis’ and ‘hostage situation’, we were treated to what can only be described as a bizarre, funny and at times surprisingly poignant hour of improvised entertainment.

The Sparrow Men

Taking us on this journey was a sociopathic wannabe-tennis player, his besotted hostage (apparently Stockholm syndrome can work out) and a restaurant with 3 kilos of Parmesan cheese. But it was the honest account of how cookbooks are actually a way for ‘The Man’ to control our lives that provided the rare, and hopefully fictional, glimpse into the inner workings of Jamie Oliver’s brain. This, coupled with a scene where a TV was literally killing a man, was what turned this performance into a social commentary on the pitfalls of consumerism.

I’m fascinated by improvised theatre and the spontaneous development of scene and story. Marcus and Andy are very talented, playing skilfully off each other’s suggestions and mostly keeping a straight face; there were moments of unusual and whacky suggestion that were clearly unexpected and made it all the more entertaining.

The only thing lacking for me was a tying-up of all the vignettes at the end of the show – perhaps it wasn’t necessary but there were some characters that I was really interested to find out how they fitted into the bigger picture and what became of them. Did Corey and Jessica get the woof whistles from the construction workers that their hearts truly desired?

Whatever your expectations of improvised theatre, The Sparrow Men presented by The Butterfly Club and The Improv Conspiracy provide a joyous frolic down whatever path the audience provides and it’s certainly a show that you could see over and over again.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, Melbourne
Season: Wed 28th January and Sunday 1st February 8pm, Thursday 29th to Saturday 31st January 9pm
Tickets: Full $28 | Conc $24
Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com/show/the-sparrow-men

Festivals, Musical Theatre, Review, Whats On

REVIEW: Midsumma Festival’s THE BIG GAY CRUISE

All aboard this maritime musical

By Myron My

What could be more fun than a gay cruise? Nothing, according to engaged couple Alex and Ben and their best men, Stephen and Anthony, as they board a gay cruise ship for one final hoorah before their nuptials. Being performed as part of the 2015 Midsumma Festival, it’s fun, sexy and camp laughs in David Peake‘s original musical The Big Gay Cruise, directed by Leigh Barker and presented by Adam J. Lowe.

The Big Gay Cruise

With Alex and Ben (Brenton Cosier and Will Atkinson) soon to be married and their wedding day approaching, insecurities and fear are heightened for the characters. I would have loved to see more focus on this storyline in Peake’s script and an exploration of the secret that is revealed in the second act rather than splitting off to various sideline stories for the support cast. These characters may have had some genuinely funny moments, but I was not as emotionally invested in their story as I was about Alex and Ben’s. I felt more focus on the central couple would have kept the narrative more entertaining, with a stronger pay-off at the end.

The impact of the music raises a similar issue, with many songs not progressing the story, and creating the impression they are mostly filler, such as “The Locker Room” and “My Suite”. Despite being saddled with these unnecessary numbers, most of the cast are strong singers and do exceptionally well with their solo songs. Cosier in particular does an exemplary job when singing, and seems to be in his element during these moments.

The funniest part of The Big Gay Cruise would belong to Ben Paine as the sexually adventurous Anthony, and his song “Strength Inside of Me”, which Paine performs with great comedic expression and timing. However, it is Samuel Kitchen as Stephen who steals the show with “That Happy,” his emotional song of love lost and missed opportunities. This is where Peake’s songwriting skills excel, alongside other striking numbers about life and love such as “There’s A Boy” and “Just A Little Bit”.

Overall, there is little clarity on whose story this is, and thus the relationship between the audience and the inferred “hero” of this musical, Alex, needs to be strengthened. The Big Gay Cruise definitely has enough laughs and a committed cast to prevent this ship from sinking but the script and score do require more fine-tuning.

Venue: Theatreworks, 14 Acland St, St Kilda.
Season: Until 1 February | Tues – Sat 7:30pm, Sat 3pm, Sun 6pm
Tickets: $39 Full | $35 Concession
Bookings: www.midsumma.org.au, http://www.theatreworks.org.au, or 9534 3388

Cabaret

REVIEW: Midsumma Festival’s SHOW STOPPER

Rock goddesses reimagined

By Myron My

I don’t feel my 2015 Midsumma experience would have been the same without a touch of Agent Cleave. The sexy drag cabaret performer’s production Show Stopper was brought back to life for only a three-night run during this year’s Midsumma, where we were taken on a journey through 90s’ rock anthems and explorations of sexuality.

Show Stopper

With his long, flowing hair, red lipstick and perfectly kept beard, Agent Cleave was a show-stopper himself and demanded our attention while on stage. Beginning with the aptly-named “Queer” by Garbage, Agent Cleave used a number of female-led rock anthems to reveal experiences of sexuality through five different female characters; a stripper, a mermaid, a lounge singer, a pirate and a virgin. The costumes for each of these personas had a level of simplicity to them yet at the same time, were completely genius in their design and concept.

Agent Cleave possesses an incredibly unique voice, which resulted some amazing moments of vocal talent throughout the course of the evening. Even with rock music not being my preferred musical taste, when accompanied by Melbourne musicians Pete Barry, Jonny Badlove and Kieran John Brooks, Agent Cleave ensured that everyone was glued to the stage as the artists performed classic songs by Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Peaches and Karen O.

Unfortunately, on the night I attended the sound levels did require some fine-tuning during the spoken parts of the show, as they were constantly drowned out by the music. Being only able to hear every third or fourth word, I ended up missing much of the spoken context and ideas that were being presented.

Despite this, Show Stopper was an impressive and entertaining show with great visual and musical moments that left you questioning, and blurred the line on what gender and feminine sexuality can actually mean.

Show Stopper was performed at Howler January 21-23.