Tag: The Butterfly Club

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REVIEW: Daniel Oldaker is DANDYMAN

Fine physical comedy from humble beginnings

By Myron My

Daniel Oldaker is physical theatre. Having seen him perform previously, I was quite excited to see what his new comedy show Dandyman would entail.

Dandyman

After what was probably the most captivating and engaging entrance for a show I have seen in a while, Oldaker takes to the stage in his bright blue and pink suit and accessories. The very loose story revolves around Dandyman waiting at the airport to board his flight and having to combat the boredom of plane delays and a very stubborn suitcase.

There is a simplicity in Dandyman that takes you back to being a child and that ability we once had to create so much out of nothing. Oldaker whips out two pages from a newspaper and ten bright pink straws and begins to dazzle us with all of his creations.

From paper babies, to flying birds of various sizes to up-close and personal facial features, Oldaker covers pretty much everything.

There is a touch of Dr. Brown’s mannerisms and character in Oldaker’s comedy but it is far less confronting and so allows the audience to be more at ease with what he is doing and to just enjoy it.

The disappointing thing about the show would have to be the length. At 35 minutes I did not feel like I had been on a full journey with the character. As much as I enjoyed the straw and paper moments and the bit of juggling, knowing what Oldaker is capable of I did not leave feeling fulfilled by what I had seen.

Oldaker informed us at the end of the show that this was the beginning of Dandyman and that it would eventually turn into a “totally different beast” than what we saw. There is great potential to develop this character and that is something to look forward to.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Season: Until 9 December | 9:00pm, Sun 8:00pm

Tickets: $23 Full | $15 Concession

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

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

Review: PANIC! with Neil Sinclair

Crisis advice has never been so charming

By Myron My

Neil Sinclair’s stand-up show Panic! delves into the British comedian’s personal experience of the riots in London last year.

Sinclair’s recount of seeing roads on fire and people getting dragged from their cars to tales of a looter’s attempts to break into his flat cover much of the “equal parts terrifying and equal parts hilarious” moments he refers to.

Sinclair comes up with three sure-fire way to protect oneself from the looters from his man-made ‘command centre’ in his kitchen flat. Barricade your door with ANYTHING you can get your hands on, dress like a looter and get drunk! His story-telling methods are very relaxed, the flow of which is quite smooth as he includes the before and after effects of the London riots.

Sinclair has some great interaction with the audience, and there are many times when those invisible barriers are let down and it feels like you are just having a chat with a friend.

His lesson on the ‘art of small talk’ to help ease the tension after the riots was a highlight and there is something about the presence of an old school cassette player that I find endearing in any show.

Panic! is littered with pop culture references and only the coolest of the cool will understand them; I managed three. Sinclair has some great word play and some ‘pun-tastic moments’ with his “command centre” twitter feed but even when he makes a few bad ‘dad’ jokes he takes on the failure with a cheeky smile and moves on. This is indicative of Sinclair’s humbleness and his affableness as a performer.

At only 45 minutes, it is quite a short show but this is clearly an example of quality over quantity and Sinclair’s personable nature makes him one to keep an eye out for in the future.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Season: Until 11 November | 7:00pm, Sun 6:00pm

Tickets: $15 Full | $10 Concession

Bookings: http://thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

Review: KROWS BAR KABARET Presents NEWS FLASHERS

A bold satirical effort leaves little breathing space

By Myron My

In the revitalised Weimar-style political kabaret News Flashers, the audience are treated to a whirlwind of varied Australian issues and the way the media reports these through the use of ‘televised’ news reports, song and with the aid of sock puppets.

A lot of thought has gone into the production of News Flashers, and it is certainly a delight on the eyes. Old newspapers form the basis of the costumes, including trousers, shirts, hats, bow ties and a few other surprises along the way.

The various ways in which the “televisions” are used throughout the show is quite creative and allows for radically different set-ups to take over on stage. The cast makes excellent use of the performance area and really takes ownership of every available space.

The performers (Caitlin Brown, Ezekiel Ox, Fletcher Dyson, Maurial Spearim and Sophie Kinston) worked very well together and there was some strong rapport and high energy levels but as the title suggests, the show was a bit frenetic. Unfortunately it was so fast that I found myself constantly trying to catch up with what was happening.

Many topical issues are covered throughout the show including boat people, Gina Rinehart and the stolen generation but the surface is only ever skimmed with any of them. I was left feeling confused with a few of the recurring references and felt they were some sort of in-joke I was not privy to.

The songs by creator Ella Filar were composed well and the instruments used were chosen carefully and specifically. The voices of the performers highlighted each individual’s vocal strengths and it was great to see them excel here. However, the songs may have been a little short, for just as I understood what they were singing about, they were finished and we immediately moved on.

News Flashers describes itself as ‘political, vulgar, artistic, grotesque, sexy and sublime’, and successfully achieves its claims, but perhaps if the content had been narrowed down and the performance not been so exceptionally fast-paced, it might have been a little more enjoyable.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Season: Until 11 November | 8:00pm, Wed, Sun 9:00pm

Tickets: $23 Full | $20 Concession

Bookings: http://thebutterflyclub.com/shows

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Izaak Lim Sings TOO MANY SONGS

Classic comedy that delivers

By Christine Moffat

Izaak Lim explores the songs, and more importantly, the bent of Tom Lehrer in this one-hour cabaret at the iconic Melbourne venue The Butterfly Club.

Many lovers of darkly comic cabaret will be familiar with one or two songs from Lehrer’s catalogue such as The Masochism Tango or Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, but in this show Lim also dusts off some under-loved gems and makes them sparkle again.

For those who don’t know Lehrer’s work, this show would be an excellent introduction to the skewed worldview of the comical, musical, mathematical genius who was a highly respected professor as well as a fabulously disrespectful human being.

Lim captures this second element especially well in his own performance, which is very faithful to Lehrer without going anywhere near an impersonation.  Lim is himself, and that self seems to be almost as dark, strange and hilarious as his ‘mentor’.

On opening night the room was small, intimate and warm, as was the mood created by Lim and his oh-so-accomplished accompanist Trevor Jones.  Lim’s performance was superb: his voice has a beautiful tone that echoes Lehrer’s own deceptively sweet-noted delivery of deliciously sour concepts.

It is a humorous format that is milked for all it’s worth by Lim and Jones.  They are in synch musically and their tetchy banter really keeps the ball rolling.  As a result, the show seemed much shorter than it was, even including our predestined ‘encore’.

When he performed, Lehrer was most often trapped behind a piano, relying only on facial expression and nuance to reach his audience.  By utilising Jones for the majority of the music (watch out for some sneaky accordion action) Lim has the benefit of embodying the songs with high-energy physical humour, an hilarious addition to the already funny songs.  More than once I found myself laughing a bit too loud, and I wasn’t alone.

In closing, I will simply say this about Too Many Songs: if you don’t like laughing, don’t go.

Dates: Saturday 25th July 7pm/ Sunday 26th July 6pm

Tickets: $23 Full, $20 Conc, $18 Group 8+

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank St, South Melbourne

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Xavier Toby is BINGE THINKING

Laid-back Aussie comedic charm

By Myron My

In Binge Thinking, Xavier Toby wants us to be able to laugh at the silly and stupid things in life as well as being able to discuss the bigger issues of modern time.

He attempts to do this by looking at the three things that one is not meant to talk about at dinner parties; politics, religion and money but interspersing it with random facts about dolphins, Delta Goodrem and Deal or No Deal.

The audience is invited to listen to Toby recount a dinner party experience he had with six friends and the issues that arose from that. Toby uses various types of alcohol to represent his six “friends”.  These include the “frangelico” lawyer, the “red and white wine” husband and wife and my personal favourite Sasha the “goon bag” bogan.

The results are quite effective and entertaining and neatly prevent what could have been very confusing for the audience in having to differentiate between seven characters.

For the most part Toby shares his story well, but there were a few moments of awkwardness or clumsy delivery of dialogue. This did however add to Toby’s appeal in being a typical, laid-back Aussie bloke though: someone we can all relate too.

Considering how small the stage is, it’s a shame that half of it was blocked off by an unused piano, thus preventing Toby from being even more animated and to give him some more room for his stage presence.

Toby seems genuinely most relaxed when conversing with his audience whilst drinking his bottle of Mountain Goat. However, if I had to use Tony’s game and compare him to an alcoholic beverage, I would choose a nice bottle of gin or perhaps a Bombay Sapphire. Cheers!

Date: June 21, 22, 23  7pm/24th  6pm

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Tickets: $23 / $18

Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

Review: ZULEI KHAN in Triage!

Unlikely hospital comedy an hilarious success

By Meg Richardson

Hospital emergency department. Generally speaking, these three words don’t make you want to laugh, sing or even smile. And nurses? They don’t generally seem overly theatrical. However, this clinical setting is exactly where Zulei Khan feels most at home.

In her one-woman comedy cabaret, Khan, a registered division 1 triage nurse, takes the audience through the day-to-day lives and tribulations of those working in this challenging industry.

Traige! focuses on the emotional journey of Khan’s career. The audience is exposed to her outright honesty about the job that has engulfed her life. She addresses her frustration with self-diagnosing patients, addiction junkies and excessively arrogant doctors the best way she knows how- by belting out some big show tunes.

With a well-balanced mix of original numbers and re-worked classics, Khan’s voice is a joy to listen to. Her delivery of dialogue is, at times, a bit clumsy but somehow, this adds to the personality of the piece.

The intimate setting of The Butterfly Club also allows Khan to interact with the audience with great ease. She is not afraid to talk to them (or ask male members of the audience uncomfortable questions about certain ‘female’ medical instruments!).

The affinity she establishes with the audience very early in the show also allows her to really evoke emotions within them when she expresses some very personal challenges she has faced with a tear-jerking, delicate ballad.

Overall, Zulei Khan gives a laugh-out-loud insight into the only life she has ever known. This knowledge has allowed her to compile a show that is entirely entertaining from beginning to end.

Although she has made a successful career saving people’s lives, I only hope she continues to delight patients and audiences alike – Zulei Khan belongs on the stage.

If only every visit to the emergency room could be so entertaining.

Where: The Butterfly Club

When: Tuesday 19th – Sunday 24th June

Time: 8pm (Tue, Wed, Sun) 9pm (Thu, Fri, Sat)

Tickets: Adult $23, Concession $20, Groups (8 or more) $18

Cabaret, Cabaret Review, Events, Performances, Whats On

REVIEW: Mike Tsama in RISE OF THE MEMPHIS CAT

Elvis is in the building!

By Christine Moffat

If you ever wondered what it was really like seeing Elvis Presley perform live way back when: before he was a star, before he went Hollywood, before the pills and the booze and the double-bacon-cheese-and-banana burgers, this show is your chance to find out! 

If you’re looking for that cool, truck-driving hunk of rough diamond that Sam Phillips and The Colonel were all shook up about, Mike Tsama is your man.  This 65-minute show takes you back to that time and that guy, with a faultless vocal performance by Tsama that manages to evoke a young Elvis without becoming a mere impersonation (a rare feat). 

Staged at the über-funky cabaret venue The Butterfly Club, the show is perhaps a little big for the room.  I believe this show calls for a big stage and a big, excited, Elvis-digging crowd.  That being said, if a smaller, more intimate (you know what I’m sayin’ Momma?) Elvis experience is what you’re after, this show at this venue is it. 

Although fewer costume changes and a couple less songs would have been preferable, if you go along for the ride this show will be a hell of a lot of fun for cats and kittens, so get clapping along early and you’ll have a ball.  As a concert experience, there is no real narrative or cabaret format, but this is not a kitch and cool outsiders’ show – it’s clearly for Elvis fans and soon-to-be Elvis fans of all ages. 

The combination of Tsama’s voice (which was pitch perfect) and his choice of some lesser-known songs as well as hits made me want to go home and play every Elvis song in my collection.  Oh, and if you’re craving a little extra special attention from The King, sit up and front and your wish might be granted…

Rise of the Memphis Cat

Written, produced & performed by: Mike Tsama

Featuring character voices: Steve McGrath, Meera Belle, David Watkins & Glen Schollum

Venue:  The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank Street, South Melbourne

Times: 7pm Thurs/Fri/Sat, 6pm Sun

Dates: Thurs 24th to Sun 27th May

Ticket prices: $23 Full, $20 Conc, $18 Groups 8+

Booking Details: www.thebutterflyclub.com

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

REVIEW: Jenny Wynter in AN UNEXPECTED VARIETY SHOW

Frank and funny, with an unforgettable finale

By Bradley Storer

Entering in complete darkness Jenny Wynter begins her cabaret, An Unexpected Variety Show, exhorting her audience to reflect in the dark on their own lives and choices, before launching into the opening song bearing the same title as the show, marvelling at the many twists and turns one life can take.

This autobiographical show for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival takes us on a tour of episodes of Wynter’s life, broken up with a wide stylistic range of original songs.

The main theme is the attempt to reconcile youthful dreams of fame and success with the responsibilities of adulthood. There are hilarious numbers about youthful affairs, mother/daughter relationships, and married life all interspersed with costumes changes and (at one inspired moment) puppetry.

While always maintaining a mercurial atmosphere, Wynter does not shy from quite confronting material even from the beginning, touching on her experiences as a young mother, the death of a close family member as a child, and the struggle to balance family life and life as a performer.

Wynter gives off the brassiness and bravado of a veteran showgirl, but with the mature vulnerability of one for whom the show has ended years before. While not always strong vocally, she has the distinct features and versatile singing voice of a classic character actress, ably jumping from a throaty and voluptuous saloon song to a Tina Turner-style soul number and even rapping with aplomb.

While it may not be not mind-blowing, Wynter is a charming performer and has written a show with a big heart and many beautiful moments throughout, in particular one gorgeous and touching segment where Wynter harmonizes with the voice of her own mother (herself a singer), with the finale leaving a smile which is impossible to erase.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank St, South Melbourne

Dates: April 10th – 22nd

Time: Tuesday/Wednesday/Sunday 6pm, Thursday/Friday/Saturday 7pm

Tickets: At The Butterfly Club, or online at www.thebutterflyclub.com

Full $27
Concession $24
Group (8 or more) $23
Tightarse Tuesday $15

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.

Events, Late Night Shows, Performances, Review, Whats On

Review: MORGAN & WEST – Time Travelling Magicians

From international television to their intimate live performance: make the time to see this

By Jen Coles

As a fan of magic, I was delighted to hear the Penn-and-Teller-fooling duo Morgan & West were coming to town. As time-travelling magicians from the past, Rhys Morgan and Robert West have prepared an hour to amaze and amuse every member lucky enough to be in the audience.

Featuring a lineup of traditional tricks such as the cup and balls (reinvented to have its own unique and hilarious twist), as well as their own magical inventions, the pair’s talent is incredible.  Their chemistry together makes for some wonderful interplay to break up the show, and they also have a wonderful mastery of audience participation.

Due to the intimate nature of the Butterfly Club venue, the chances of getting picked were high, however the pair relaxed the audience, and made us excited to be a part of their fantastic show.

 The pair, whilst having their own unique talents, also blend together well to create the notion of the ‘false reveal’. A supposed messed-up trick allowed the show to have a through-line with some build, and therefore the final payoff that ended the show was outstanding.

 However, for a show that was so brilliant, it seemed sadly, a little too short as a one-hour block. West briefly demonstrated a talent with cards, and I would have liked to see more card magic  in their program; the hour just flew by, and it was sad to see them go.

The fact that the pair happily shook hands with every audience member upon their exit sums up their performance style perfectly. Wonderfully charismatic and genuine gentlemen, Morgan & West light up the stage with a talent that clearly deserves a long career. We can only hope they tour here more often… or perhaps they can lend us their time-travel secrets to see the show once more.

 

Morgan & West: Time Travelling Magicians

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 204 Bank St, South Melbourne

Season: Fri 24th – Sat 25th, 10.30pm

Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com