The Songs of McKenzie-Spencer and Strano (Nailed It)

There’s a large and diverse contingent of Australians at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, but it’s hard to imagine anyone pleasing the crowd more than the wonderfully eclectic and super talented combination of Loclan McKenzie-Spencer and Andrew Strano. Their songs are wildly witty and darkly cynical, gently wistful and super sophisticated – with melodies that stay with you long after it occurs to you that largely they’re also somewhat inappropriate, and lyrics that Sondheim wouldn’t be ashamed of (not Stephen….Fred, who runs a deli down on the Peninsula). It’s 10 years or more since Edinburgh laid claim to “discovering” our Tim Minchin, but don’t be surprised if the names of Loclan and Andrew aren’t added to that list before the end of the month.

Only 10 days or so before leaving for the dizzy climate of a Scottish Summer, this super talented duo workshopped their new show for one night only at Chapel off Chapel and I was lucky enough to be there. Indeed, had it not been for the dreaded Lurgi which drove me to my bed, I would have reviewed this the morning after.

Although Loclan and Andrew are performing Nailed It as a two hander on the OSOTW (other side of the world), a stellar cast was gathered for the one night concert, and they truly did Nail it – hence the new title. With artists like Mike McLeish, Andrew Broadbent and Rob Tripolino representing the males of the species, and the fabulous Fem Belling, Stefanie Jones and Keagan Vaskess (who stepped in at 3 hours notice to replace a very sick Rebecca Moore) on the female side, the harmonies were tight, the voices were terrific and the great band made the production seem much bigger than it actually was. The Opening Number – “One Step at a Time” - made it clear to us that this was cabaret of the highest quality. Casey Gould as Director pulled everything together and mostly let the talent and the material speak for itself.

Fem Belling took off her Jazz hat and replaced it firmly with a wild theatrical ride through an hysterical number called “Zis is Kabaret”….it brought the house down, and rightly so. It would be a showstopper anywhere.

Rob Tripolino – a genuine quadruple threat – put aside his “Pop” voice to give us Musical Theatre sweetness in “So Much in Common”…a love song about incest! The wonderful Mike McLeish (is there anyone who DIDN”T see him in Keating The Musical?) was a comic delight in “Babies” and moving and poignant in the very clever “Something’s Wrong”.

Keagan Vaskess was quite remarkable stepping in at short notice to delight us with “The Scientific View” and “Still Waiting”. Stefanie Jones was wonderfully wistful in “We had Sandwiches” and Andrew Broadbent added style and panache to several numbers and really impressed with “Warning Signs”.

McKenzie- Spencer and Strano are award winning cabaret performers of great charm and style, and the material they write is delightfully fresh and original. They deserve to take Edinburgh by storm…as long as the Scots remember that they belong to “Us”.

Coral Drouyn

Images: Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer and Andrew Strano, and Fem Belling (foreground), Robert Tripolino and Stefanie Jones, and Keagan Vaskess and Andrew Broadbent (background). Photos: http://khushboophotography.com/