Melbourne Cabaret Festival Opening Gala
The Melbourne Cabaret Festival is celebrating its tenth year at Chapel Off Chapel.
This year’s Gala host, feisty Festival Ambassador Sally Bourne (accompanied by her partner in crime Drew Downing on piano) commenced proceedings by belting out a joyful rendition of “Big Time” (Peter Gabriel), preceding her boisterous introduction to a selection of many of the wild and wonderful acts participating in this year’s festival.
The festival embraces a variety of eclectic entertainment from scintillating performances in retro shows, to barbershop quartets with climate change messages, to many other ubiquitous, zesty stand out shows.
Picked Last For Sports, winners of the Best Cabaret Melbourne Fringe Show 2018, perform their well-tuned, highly crafted show Creatures of the Deep, that delves deep into the art of song, performance and puppetry along with a clear cut ‘save the ocean’ message.
Amy Winehouse: Resurrected, performed by Alexis Fishman, is a haunting tribute show that pokes fun at fame and pop-stars, while exploring death without dignity.
Cabaret shows are great at emulation and the Age Of Stephen by Stephen Valeri takes you back to the age of the mullet and the Johnny Farnham days of “Sadie the Cleaning Lady”. Valeri is a devoted fan of the great Aussie icon, hitting his high notes with honest trepidation in “Two Strong Hearts”. ‘
Drew Downing’s Ultimate 90’s Playlist harks back to the world of boy bands and washed out denim. This show fudges the eighties and cuts through the nineties, with Downing performing with a wonderful ensemble of talented back-up vocals and musicians.
If siren songs and unicorn fantasies ring bells for you, then Broken Romantics: A Unicorn’s Quest For Love will take you on a whimsical and original journey by Emma Dean, who writes and sings her own songs along with Cello (Wayne Jennings) and back up vocals and electric drums (Tony Dean).
The wonderful self-proclaimed Serena Williams in drag, Nefertiti La Negra, sets the house on fire with the superb finale to this year’s Gala, from her new show What’s Love Got To Do With It and her mash up of golden oldie tunes including “Saturday Night’s Alright” (Elton John) and “Walk On By” (Dionne Warwick).
The Cabaret Festival is always a barrel of laughs, full of strange and exotic acts that rear their unique and wonderful heads. I highly recommend the entertainment on offer.
Flora Georgiou
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