Mass Hysteria

Mass Hysteria created by Skank Sinatra and Iva Rosebud (AKA Jens Radda and Lachlan Bartlett) is essential late night Fringe viewing. It so much more than mass hysteria, it is mass talent, mass naughtiness and most of all, mass fun!

It has a bit of everything a Fringe goer could want - glamour, live vocals, dance, drag, audience participation and some nudity thrown in to spice things up!

The evening begins with some cosmic therapy (‘Lay Down Your Burden’) which had us all participating in a hands-on healing session.

The mood quickly changes as we are treated to vocal gems such as ‘Daddy Cool’ (love Iva’s rich bass-baritone vocals), ‘Too Darn Hot!’, and ‘Sisters’ to name a few.

Sinatra and Rosebud work equally well together as they do independently in stunning gowns of shimmering blues and greens. They are a formidable team and produce a memorable stream on ‘one liners’ that include the audience. They are not afraid to mingle with their fans, and we as their fans, eat it up.  Keep your eye out for the cocktail made by Sinatra and ‘consumed’ by Rosebud.

Their number ‘Sisters’, dressed as nuns is a riot and segues perfectly to Sinatra’s brief encounter with the porn film industry as she stars in the remake of The Sound of Music, retitled The Sound of Moaning and relates ‘Her Favourite Things’.

Their special guests for the night are cabaret personalities in their own right and provide their own blend of song and humour.

Meg Hickey is a singer, dancer and actor extraordinaire whose voice ranges from opera to modern. Her audience participation number with fake fish and fish masks is an audience favourite and had this reviewer doubled over with laughter.

Tash York (looking remarkably like the legendary Maria Venuti) looks a million dollars in an amazing wig, outfit and bag to match that doubles as a wine cask. Her collection of liquid offerings from the audience and then downing the concoction in one gulp is hysterical!

Gogo Bumhole is a self-confessed drag gremlin and delights their audience with their burlesque routine and the most ingenious lighting of a birthday candle I have seen for a long while. Their makeup is absolutely amazing and fits the character perfectly.

Highlights for me include – Iva Rosebud’s Spanish number about marijuana featuring a huge green ‘joint’, Sinatra and Rosebud’s ‘ballet’ sequence, the song and dance number ‘Take You There’, Tash York’s fish number, and the trio with Sinatra, Rosebud and York in a beautifully harmonised slow number to pull the pace back a bit and allow us to catch a breath.

Mass Hysteria is a glitter filled hour of naughtiness and fun that is the perfect way to end a day at the Fringe. If you didn’t see it, you have missed a treat!

Barry Hill OAM

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