iOTA

When he was a lad iOTA craved a drum set but his parents, worried about the neighbours, instead gave him an acoustic guitar. He says he was so angry, he laid a curse on them - that their oldest son would be homosexual and super-talented.

iOTA kicks off a season of 15 star singers, each playing a solo show, through November in Cabaret at Teatro, bringing welcome nightlife to the foyer and convivial theatre in Leichhardt’s long troubled Italian Forum.

The curse came true when Sean Hape came out at 26, gave up alcohol and changed his name to iOTA. And as he supports his expressive, almost wailing vocals, he’s obviously also turned out super-talented on the guitar, backed by a nifty percussionist and double bass.

Stepping out dressed all in black including a crown of high feathers, he appropriately starts with Leonard Cohen (‘First, we take Manhattan, then we’ll take Berlin’) - and ends with Neil Young. The audience love iOTA. They lean into his dark, even pained onstage persona and his natural candour and casual wit as he shuffles on to the next song. By the end, iOTA does drop the energy of his set too much but, since he also shares the anxieties of making shows, we know, after all, it’s a work in progress.

And iOTA is not short of clowning charm, in his white-faced make-up, his huge mouth and teeth, his eyes staring out in astonishment or mischief

He truly hits the mark, reaching tears, singing “My Death” for the female acquaintance who gave him all her broaches before dying just last week; and with “Man Overboard” for a lover who never stays.

He’s such an empathetic, startling performer. That was clear 20 years ago with his award-winning name role in the cult musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which has never been bettered.

Martin Portus

Click here to read more about the Cabaret at TEATRO season.