Beauty! Glamour! Fame!

When taken to our little plastic seats in the middle of an intimate audience at the Imperial, I was glad to have a large glass of Long Island in hand. A necessary prop, it seemed, to brace me for the wonderfully uncomfortable face-to-face experience I was bound to have in Brent Thorpe’s Beauty! Glamour! Fame!. The stage was a mere couple of metres before us, the set decked out in (appropriately) tacky leopard print. Despite its flamboyance, it was a clearly minimal set directing all focus to the show’s two stars, Brent Thorpe and Zan Cross.

Brent Thorpe’s drag persona, Brenda Trollope, is a slightly demented and highly eccentric woman with a poor understanding of where ‘the line’ should be drawn. She chats to her attentive audience, bouncing every now and then off their reactions, intent on telling her extravagant tale, without leaving out the good stuff. From her studio apartment in Sydney to her hotel room in Vegas we are launched into every aspect of her life:  her past, her present, her romances, and, of course, several of her roles in her hit show “Australia: The Musical”. It’s a politically incorrect exploration of Australia’s bizarre culture over the past forty years, taking us straight through to some hilarious commentary on the politics and media situation of today.

As writer and performer, Thorpe knows how to captivate his audience. Readers, if ever you see his name on a poster for an upcoming show- be it this one, which I trust will carry on past its short term at the Imperial, or another- you’re guaranteed to enjoy a combined display of gorgeousness, and outrageousness. Though his bold pizzazz and timely comic acting allows for risk, there were moments where Thorpe’s attempts to respond to audience behaviors exposed too much of a gap between the scripted and the ad lib. Some improvised moments fell flat and simply didn’t feel as organic as the rest of the show. Even so, I’d be quicker to blame the audience for being too boring, than his cracks at breaking the fourth wall! Brent Thorpe was born to tell his story, born to entertain us.

Let’s not forget Thorpe’s adorable side-kick, Zan Cross. My first shout out to Cross has to be his sensational efforts on the wobble-board (where, despite it being a raunchy show, there was, thankfully, no display of Jake the Peg’s “third leg”!). Proving himself a theatrical guru, Thorpe chose well in casting Cross. The twenty-something year old is a clearly enthusiastic, energetic, and incredibly consistent young actor and somebody to look out for in the future. The chemistry between Thorpe and Cross is one reason this show is so engaging.

Nothing on this Thursday? Get your glitter on and enjoy “Beauty! Glamour! Fame! At the Imperial Hotel, Eskineville.

Sally Alrich-Smythe