Tag: The Butterfly Club

Comedy, Festivals, Whats On

Melbourne Fringe 2016: THE THICK OF IT

Smashingly awesome

By Myron My

Emily Taylor is one of those performers you can watch on stage for hours. Her skillful storytelling and authentic characters are captivating, to say the least, and ensure her performances will leave you feeling more connected to yourself and questioning what you value in life in ways you wouldn’t expect. Performed as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, The Thick Of It is Taylor’s newest show and it is one not to be missed.

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We begin with Taylor – acting as more herself than one of her overt “characters” – having recently moved into a new apartment on her own and being excited over the prospects this brings. She has choices and options now: she can watch Netflix all day or go play with puppies, so many choices indeed.

It is then Taylor begins to slowly introduce the other inhabitants of The Thick Of It and her nuanced story-telling skills begin to surface. Taylor has fewer characters than previous shows, which allows us to learn more about them and gain a deeper insight into what makes them tick. These include Miles; an elderly man who wishes his neighbour would stop leaving home-cooked meals for him outside his front door, and Kyra; an obnoxiously loud, successful realtor who thinks she’s the life of the party (when she’s just obnoxiously loud).

Through these stories, a running theme gradually emerges: loneliness. All these people are experiencing loneliness in its various guises. They are all looking for – or yearning for – that connection to another. At one point, with Taylor playing the “straight” character from the opening moments, you almost see parts of the other characters coming through for just the briefest of moments. Whether this is intentional or something imagined, it reminds me that we are all the same, that despite our outward difference, we ultimately all want the same thing in life and that is to love and to be loved.

Comedy doesn’t always have to be shtick and gags: it can also be intelligent, moving, and make you think, and Taylor is highly adept at creating such sophisticated shows. The stories may not be nicely wrapped up in the end, but then neither is real life. In one regard, it’s nicer to leave The Thick Of It with our own endings for these characters we’ve come to know and appreciate: hopefully ones where everything turns out for the better.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne
Season: until 25 September| Thurs – Sun 8.30pm
Length: 60 minutes
Tickets: $32 Full | $28 Conc |  $25 Groups 6+
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

Melbourne Fringe 2016: NOT ANOTHER INDIE CABARET

Stunning voice, sly wit, and blithely Bohemian

By Joana Simmons

Indie. Urban Dictionary defines it as “an obscure form of rock which you only learn about from someone slightly more hip than yourself”. Wikipedia says it “is a shortform of “independence” or “independent” and it may refer to social action, collections of individuals creating media for change”. In Jessamae St James’ new work Not Another Indie Cabaret, through her sweet harmonics, live-looping and full-power vocals she has the sold-out opening night audience with her the whole way through her self-deprecating reflection, celebration of wine and what it makes you do on ebay, and shout out to times when she is being an actual adult.

Not Another Indie Cabaret.jpg

Jessamae begins by live-looping an epic opening number which involves playing four instruments and satirical lyrics detailing all the clichés you see in cabaret. Does she even indie? Clearly. See, she is on a mission not to perform ‘just’ another indie cabaret. She wants to exceed expectations, and boy, does she ever. From the moment she opens her mouth, I am swept up in her voice and her sparkly stage presence. The satirical storytelling and original songs accompanied by obscure instruments (enter omnichord and trumpet kazoo) have us applauding and laughing in equal measure. The transitions between singing and speaking are slick, and she dives in and out of song in a way that makes me wonder if it’s going to be different every night, it’s that natural. Her skill range is mega: relaxed witty banter, poems that have great set-up and even better pay-off and a cluster of fantastic props she made herself. There are many great moments in this show- my favourites being the spoken word piece about being gluten-free (soooo indie, or s’indie; as the cool kids say apparently) and the song about singing mezzo soprano- I mean, it wouldn’t be a cabaret without one.

Being Fringe, tech and set up time is minimal, and the minor glitch that the show did have with Mavis, her loop machine, was handled so professionally I wasn’t actually sure whether it was all part of the performance. The limited amount of lights in The Butterfly Club’s intimate downstairs theatre were used very well to help set the various tones, though at one point I found it a little difficult to see the artist. The sound was seamless – with backing tracks magically weaving into her live accompaniment. Director Steven Gates (Tripod) ought to be very chuffed as it all came together in a tight glittery bow.

We are lucky to have so much talent and variety bubbling in the Melbourne Fringe Cabaret cauldron. If you are lucky, you will get a ticket to this one- it’s a refreshing look and delicious night out. Jessamae St James’ authentic artistry combined with her killer voice means this show is definitely not ‘just’ another Indie Cabaret.

Event Details
The Butterfly Club presents NOT ANOTHER INDIE CABARET 
VENUE: The Butterfly Club
Carson Place, Off Little Collins Street, Melbourne

DATES: Tuesday 20 – Sunday 25 September, 2016 The Butterfly Club
TIME: 8.30pm (50 minutes)
TICKETS: Tickets $25 – $32
BOOKINGS: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Image by Rachel Mia

Cabaret, Festivals, Whats On

Melbourne Fringe 2016: SCREW LOOSE

Suitably twisted…

By Joana Simmons

This week, the door has opened to the wonderful kingdom that is Melbourne Fringe 2016. Noble artists from across the globe have flocked to our city to strike chords in our hearts, make us fall down and laugh, and everything in between. In Emily Vascotto’s show Screw Loose, the Brisbane performer aims to do it all.  The sneaky secrets of a lovesick stalker are revealed in this comedy cabaret, brimming with belty ballads and a surprising funny story or two. She may have a Screw Loose, but her vocals and stage presence hit the nail on the head.

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Confession is the first stage to recovery, and Vascotto opens by getting it all out in the open. Through the showy opening number, we learn there is more in store from the girl next door, and she is not afraid to show a guy she…..likes them. Her facial expressions are captivating and awkward six-year-old physicality is well executed. As each story of each boy unfolds, through these songs we see there are no boundaries to her level of crazy. It’s the combination of sickly sweet and bitter bitch that we all wish we could be. She dives in and asks questions many of us are left playing over and over in our heads, and gutsily opens her heart to an audience member, telling him some twisted truths from her deep and somewhat dark mind, whether he wanted to hear it or not. Throughout, the audience laughs at the snappy one-liners and subtle dry side notes Vascotto effortlessly slips in.

I was most impressed with her singing and vocal versatility. Accompanied by a wonderful pianist who she unfortunately neglected to mention, song choices were a mixture of musical theatre, well-placed pop songs and some comedic character numbers in there too. The formula of song-story-song-story became a little predictable however; maybe injecting more movement, physicality and use of space could spice things up. While the content and writing was definitely unhinged, I would have liked her to show us how creepily wicked she is rather than tell us- there were moments where it felt too safe; there’s nothing that’s more exciting as an audience member to see a beautiful talented woman go full feral Bellatrix Lestrange and let the monster out onstage!

Having won Short and Sweet 2015 Best Cabaret and Best Cabaret Artist, RAW Comedy Finalist Emily Vascotto and her show Screw Loose is definitely creating a stir. Her voice will blow you away and relentless stalking will make you question your own boundaries. You know the drill, book your tickets, because who doesn’t love a loose screw?

Screw Loose at Melbourne Fringe Festival 2016

 When: 14– 19 September, 2016

 Where: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

 Cost: $32 Full / $28 Concessions /$26 members / $25 Groups (6+)

 Bookings: thebutterflyclub.com or melbournefringe.com.au

Cabaret, Performances, Review

Jude Perl is PART OF THIS COMPLETE BREAKFAST

Saccharine satire at its best

 By Joana Simmons

She’s smart, she’s sweet and she’s a really talented treat. Jude Perl: Part of This Complete Breakfast is a musical comedy that’s going to be stuck in my memory for all the right reasons. Having won a Green Room Award at MICF in 2015, sold out shows at two consecutive MICFs and has just released an album “Modern Times” with a Grammy-Award winning producer, Jude Perl is delighting audiences all over the shop with her deliciously original truthful songs and candid banter.

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Beginning with a song about having 10 seconds to convince us we need this product, it only takes about 30 seconds for me to realise this woman has got something worth listening to. Her rad vocals and clever lyrics make it even easier. From the get go, she opens up her head and lets us into her tasty, colourful and weird world. Through song, voice-over and breaking-down-the-fourth-wall casual conversation about her journey from writing jingles for “Sugar O’s” to making her own album, we see her views on advertising, equality, sexualisation of the music industry, ethics and race, which are current and topical without being in your face. She darts between conversation with music biz agents voice-overs, songs and honest thoughts and theories (“loneliness equals comedy”). The voice-over’s absurd dialogue provides a loose thread throughout. She shows us, not tells us, what it’s like to have dreams, be told to follow them and realise that “following your dreams” isn’t always the best advice; rather it’s a vague message that is dangerously put out into the world for the next cult leader to pick up and follow, much to the detriment of the greater good.

Jude has the almost capacity audience singing back to her when asked and cackling and cheering throughout. Her clever play on irony to helps us realise reality; stark truths, like how having a career as a female popstar means you won’t be judged by your looks and you are able to write songs that have meaning, not ones about watermelons and sadness (right?) The song styles are as varied as a tasting platter where you like every item on it. Accompanying herself on the piano, her voice is bright and soulful, mastering runs, full belt and some gravelly heartfelt quality during her heartbreak ballad. It all comes to a climax when she sings about looking back on who she was, if she was a good person, how we can’t please everyone and sometimes you have to buy a dress that costs $5.99 even though you know “it’s made by a five year old in a five story building with no fire exit.” We are all thinking it, our laughter is genuine and uncomfortable, as we are guilty too. That’s what good artists do. They open up about something in themselves that we have somewhere in us too, and put their special sparkle on it so we can laugh and sigh about it.

It’s not easy to keep a solo show with piano, pop, voice-overs and stand-up seamlessly structured and able to make complete sense at the same time, but when it is, it’s magical. Her voice overs show real characterisation, I could imagine what the character who the voice belonged to looked like, and Jude’s interaction with them made it feel like they were onstage with her. We believed they were there because she did. Her clever creative command of the juicy content was so well delivered I want to see it all over again.

Sunday was her last performance of a killer run. I can’t wait till I have the next opportunity to experience Jude’s perls of wisdom and melodic magic. Look out for her, buy her album, go crazy before her career gets crazy successful. Jude Perl: Part of This Complete Breakfast is authentic, witty and wonderful.

Jude Pearl: Part of This Complete Breakfast was performed at The Butterfly Club, 6th – 11th of September, 2016. For upcoming performances, visit: http://www.judeperl.com/

 

Cabaret

The Butterfly Club Presents THE LEAH GOLDBERG VARIATIONS

Musical and poetic homage to a remarkable woman

By Leeor Adar

Few Australian audiences would be familiar with Leah Goldberg and her marvellous creative life.

For those who don’t know, Goldberg was one of Israel’s great poets, and the first woman to receive the coveted Israel Prize for literature.  It was only after receiving a PhD from the Universities of Berlin and Bonn that she travelled to Palestine and settled in a bustling Tel Aviv to find a home amongst the cafés and poets of her time.

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Goldberg’s fluency in multiple languages and beautiful prose solidified her as an extraordinary woman. Unsurprisingly, Goldberg would be a compelling subject for collaborators Deborah Leiser-Moore and Adi Sappir, who come together in The Leah Goldberg Variations to bring us storytelling, poetry and music.

Cellist Sappir brings to life the tragedies and rhythm of Goldberg’s life, immersing her audience in the melodies of the East with her beautiful Hebrew vocals and cello. There was richness to Sappir’s delivery that would strongly appeal to Israeli expats and appreciators of the Jewish cultural heritage. As someone who has travelled to Israel, I felt a profound sense of longing for the country as footage is shown of the old bus route Goldberg took between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Through reading her diaries, and reciting her poetry, Sappir and Leiser-Moore perform a lovely tribute to Goldberg’s legacy. It’s a worthy story – that is for certain.

There are however some teething issues in this first full-length collaboration between Sappir and Leiser-Moore. At times segments of the work are disjointed and difficult to follow. Both performers are stylistically differing, and occasionally there is no real cohesion between the two. In one moment we are drawn into the mysticism of Goldberg’s life through music and spoken poetry, and then jolted by short bursts of dialogue that detract from the immersive quality of the work.

The Leah Goldberg Variations is beautiful conceptually, but in presentation it will require further tenderness and care to bring it to the rounded life Goldberg’s story deserves. It was performed at The Butterfly Club from September 8th-11th, 2016 and is well-worthy of future seasons.

Cabaret, Performances, Whats On

The Butterfly Club Presents SIMON TAYLOR DOES A WHOLE BUNCH OF COOL STUFF

He sure does

By Joana Simmons

He’s suave, he’s stellar, he’s spellbinding. He’s Simon Taylor and he is an abundance of talent and charm in his one-man show- Simon Taylor Does a Whole Bunch of Cool Stuff. Let me just say here, the title lives up to and exceeds its name in this well-structured, well-timed and well-isn’t-he-lovely show.

Simon Taylor

Opening with an epic escape act, he lights up the stage and the faces in the audience (quite a few, considering it’s a cold Tuesday night.) Simon is charming and charismatic, warming us up with some great banter, tales of his life in his new home, Los Angeles, and a trick he learned at The Magic Castle. I was the lucky one who was escorted onto the stage to pick the card, and I couldn’t believe how the magic unfolded. Card tricks aside; Simon Taylor is the Jack-of-all-trades. The things that come out of his mouth, some magic, some musical, are all delivered with skill and energy.  It’s showmanship at its best.

By about 20 minutes in, the audience is thoroughly on board and joining in the sing-a-long to Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie”, providing backing vocals, and whooping and gasping for all of Simon’s moves in all the right places. In a show like this, it’s hard not to be won over, with our host’s honest funny anecdotes and obvious enjoyment of what he’s doing. We have fun because he does. He tells us how he’s excited to be back at The Butterfly Club as it’s where he made his debut seven years ago, and the first stage he sang upon – and he’s been having lessons since. Simon was accompanied by Louise Goh and even played himsel:, vocally the notes were there, though I can’t wait to hear the resonance and fullness as his voice continues to develop.

The US is extremely lucky to have an export who is the whole package. With magic, music, stories and funnies; Simon Taylor Does A Whole Bunch of Cool Stuff is a show you could take anyone to and they will love it. Hell, you can even go by yourself because by the end of it you’ll feel like you, Simon and the audience are a bunch of mates, sharing this incredible experience that’s a live entertainment extravaganza. It’s on till Sunday, book today.

Date: 7th of August, 2016

Time:8:30pm

Location: The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, Off Little Collins Street, Melbourne

Price: From $25­

Bookings: TheButterflyClub.com

Cabaret, Review, Whats On

Peter Rugg’s BIG GAY ADVENTURE!

Get sparkly!

By Joana Simmons

For his debut full length cabaret; Peter Rugg brings us Peter Rugg’s Big Gay Adventure!, the camp tale of a narcissistic millennial who lifts the lid on what it’s like to be gay today. Peter is brave and Rugg-edly uncovered in this Caba-gay filled with pop and musical theatre songs, educational anedcotes and one sparkly blazer.

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As a kid, Peter dreamed of having the wedding with the isle and the doves and the man of his dreams. He points out that he didn’t have very many gay couples as role models and when he woke up in the adult world, realised that amongst the tanned hairless twinks on Grindr, finding this happy-every-after might be harder than he thought. Especially living in a country where marriage still isn’t legal. Cheeky one-liners and smug segues between stories and songs navigate us through tribes and groups of ‘types’ of gay, dating, anonymous hook-ups, judgement, body image and discrimination. Some of the more meaty topics he touched on lightly, though I would have loved for him to authentically bare all truths about them- sexual health, role-model couples and what it’s like being in the closet, rather than spending more time talking about Grindr and things which are stereotypical for a young gay man.

For a first full-length show, this content and topic is no walk in the park, and Peter tackled it with gusto though structurally the issues could be developed more to really hit home. He’s interesting, and I wanted him to go deeper (excuse the innuendo, after seeing this show I see it in everything!)

Rainer on the piano sweetly accompanies him and must also be mentioned for his speaking role and assistance with putting Peter back on his train of throught. The adaptations on pop and musical theatre songs express his wants, views and struggles. Highlights were his rendition of Estelle’s “American Boy” and the heartfelt song for all the men in the closet, and these made up for moments in other songs where notes were pitchy and storytelling and ideas were lost. Applause followed every number and his energy carried through. His interaction with the crowd was relaxed and conversational; he was able to work the crowd well although some of the time he spoke directly to his friends, and it felt like the two of them having a chat over brunch that the rest of us weren’t invited to. The final few numbers were standouts and made up for all the flaws previously mentioned: his honesty about how it felt when he held hands with a boy in public for the first time, and the fear of discrimination, and what his wedding would be like had me fixated. Finishing with a fabulous upbeat number left us loving him all the way to his curtsey.

This caba-gay is an onstage celebration of all things camp. It’s not easy doing a solo cabaret: you are baring a part of your soul in an entertaining way. It’s probably even harder when it’s a part of your soul not everyone in this country agrees with. So for that, and more, support Peter Rugg and his Big Gay Adventure because what he has to say is important and the talent is definitely there. He’s a looker too: you can’t help but get lost in his GAY-ze.

Show Details: Peter Rugg’s Big Gay Adventure!

Dates: July 20-24

Time: 7pm

Cost: $25-32

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne

Tickets: thebutterflyclub.com

Comedy, Review, Whats On

Joshua Ladgrove in NEAL PORTENZA NEAL PORTENZA NEAL PORTENZA NEAL PORTENZA NEAL PORTENZA NEAL PORTENZA NEAL PORTENZA. TRACEY.

Incessantly and enthrallingly funny

By Myron My

What’s in a name? It certainly doesn’t matter in Joshua Ladgrove’s Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza Neal Portenza. Tracey, but it is a clear indication of the type of show this is. It is 60 minutes of comedy that will have you snorting with laughter, squirming in your seat and wondering what goes on inside Neal Portenza’s – and Ladgrove’s – head, all at the same time. 

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As with his previous shows, this is a combination of scripted absurdist comedy with many opportunities for improvisation and off-the-cuff humour, with much of this born from Ladgrove’s interactions with his audience. A running joke on the night I attended was based around two people working in the medical profession and Ladgrove attempting to explain things in medical terms so that they would understand.

It’s the type of show that the more the audience feeds him, the bigger and crazier the show will get, such as the woman who very happily volunteered to lick sauce off Ladgrove’s chest and a male audience member nonchalantly removing his t-shirt because he was asked to. However, Ladgrove is aware of boundaries and there is never a moment where anyone who puts their hand up is made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe, as his skill at reading the room is highly accurate.

While this is a one-man show, Ladgrove’s tech Nathan is just as involved in Neal Portenza et al, telling him what to do and also what not to do, and injecting moments into the show that seem to genuinely surprise Ladgrove and delight the audiences. It’s a great, collaborative relationship the two seem to share and adds another element of surprise as to what the audience can expect. 

There’s no story or over-arching theme in this type of comedy. To even attempt it would be a disservice to Ladgrove and the work he is trying to create: because, for a moment in time, you were in a room, watching Neal Portenza doing things and saying things that are so utterly ridiculous that you cannot help but laugh. A lot.

Venue: The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne
Season: Sunday 24 July | 8.30pm 
Tickets: $32 Full | $28 Conc 
Bookings: The Butterfly Club 

Cabaret, Review, Whats On

Gillian Cosgriff in THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS

Catch her before she wows Edinburgh…

By Joana Simmons

Award-winning musical comedian (Winner Best Cabaret Melbourne Fringe 2013, Winner Green Room Awards Original Songs 2013) Gillian Cosgriff is a musical and vocal powerhouse with comedic charisma and charm to boot. In her show, This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things, we hear her personal stories of how she is good at making to-do lists but better at procrastinating, good at being a mate but awesome at calling them after a wine or nine, and many other rollicking relatable truths.

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“This is why we can’t have nice things” is an adage recited by mothers across the globe to children who have damaged said nice thing. After an energetic opening number, Cosgriff explains how this is the title of her show because it is something she frequently finds she is telling herself: for when she buys an expensive lipstick and it spills in her bag, or meets a nice guy and calls him at 3am to ‘hang out.’ Through her dulcet tones and clever lyrics, she delights the audience with all kinds of anecdotes that prove why this saying applies to her.

Cosgriff is clearly a seasoned performer. She is relaxed and enjoying herself and the audience is completely on board. It’s hard not to be, since her musical ability hits all the right notes and vocal riffs have the audience whooping and applauding after every number and one liner.  The humour hits home as equally as the heart. Gosgriff’s honesty and open self-reflection is touching, and her song to her 16 year-old self is beautiful.

Structurally, Cosgriff’s command of the stage with her storytelling and variety of musical numbers works. One part with voice-overs went a bit long, but other than that, the intimate journey that is this show is the perfect amount of theatrical and accessible. The lighting is simple and subtle, except for one stage where they started flashing which was unsettling but that could have been the intention.

There’s four performances left of this show before Gillian Cosgriff takes off to debut it at Edinburgh Fringe. Go and see it, because she is going to hit that festival out of the park. Go and see it because it is humour with heart and hashtag nostalgia. Go and see it because, whilst Cosgriff thinks she can’t have nice things, she definitely deserves all the great things that her incredible talent will bring.

Gillian Cosgriff: This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Venue: The Butterfly Club

Dates: July 5-10

Time: 8:30pm

Tickets: www.thebutterflyclub.com

Cabaret, Performances, Review

The Butterfly Club Presents DAVE AND THE PLUSHIES

Cuddly comedy unites stunning talent and stuffed toys

By Joana Simmons

If your face is sore from smiling when you walk out of the theatre, it’s a sure sign you have seen a good show. I am lucky enough to have caught Dave and the Plushies at The Butterfly Club in his “On the Road to 2nd” show:  a bunch of his songs from his first album (1st) and a few from his second. Dave, and his band, the Plushies- a cute collection of nostalgic stuffed toys- make real talk romantic, with songs about love, dreams, pick-up lines and Lord of the Rings.

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Opening with a comical and well-produced music video projected on the back screen – the saga of “Superhero Asian” – I am caught up at once in the clever lyrics and smart storytelling. Dave emerges “(W)apping in slow motion” and immediately puts the audience at ease by connecting with them through his catchy chorus and relaxed command of the stage. Dave introduces his band, the Plushies, which don’t really serve any purpose except making the stage look good. Any band that makes a singer look good without doing anything is a great thing: not that Dave needs it.

This man’s imagination for song concepts is as grand and admirable as his vocal range. The audience is quickly tapping their toes, making monkey noises, and sighing through each song. His guitar-playing and musicality makes perfect accompaniment for this intimate evening, I loved how his audience banter was the right amount of witty and quick and the audience loved it too, participating at the right times and one even yelled out to him, “All your friends are here!”

It’s easy for a show of this genre- one man singing funny songs and playing his guitar- to get monotonous. Dave breaks it up with an animated video clip, this time a love story. Just when I think my ‘warm and fuzzy tank ‘ is full, it’s topped up with light and honesty from the heart. The energy in the room is evident, raised by moments of physical comedy and more songs with choruses that get stuck in your head. Finishing with an energetic dance number “I Wanna Dance with You, Davey”, the audience and I need no prompting to burst into applause and begs for an encore.

When a second season is announced, wait no longer and get to this show. It’s clever, honest, romantic and fun for all ages. With skillful playing, a delightful voice and vocal range, and great comic timing, it’s fair to say talent wise; Dave is a Royal Plush.

Dave & The Plushies: On The Road to 2nd was performed Tuesday 28th of June – Sunday 3rd of July, 2016 at The Butterfly Club. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/daveandtheplushies/?fref=nf

Image by Davidoff Hoanganova