Mother Archer’s Cabaret for Dark Times

Robyn Archer graces the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2021 after having ‘icon status’ bestowed upon her worthy shoulders in 2016 as winner of the Cabaret Icon Award.  This is only one of her many awards over a rich lifetime as singer, writer, artistic director, public advocate for the arts and venerated mentor, but certainly celebrates Archer’s pre-eminent position in the world of cabaret.

Mother Archer’s Cabaret for Dark Times was originally created for Tasmania’s Ten Days on the Island Festival (March 2021), a festival Archer created 20 years ago at the invitation of the then premier of Tasmania Jim Bacon.  In this performance the songs and poetry span history and cultures from the 17th to the 20th century and Archer is accompanied on piano, piano accordion and by her own guitar playing. The loose narrative is woven around the ‘dark’ themes of alcohol, evil, love (the beauty and the pain), the socio-political, and the devil – or the devilish.  These themes are illustrated in song and poetry, and throughout, Archer’s own wicked humour and incisive commentary shines. Her reflections on the historic notions in the works and their pertinence to our current world view are a little left-leaning and roguishly perceptive. 

Huge kudos to the onstage musicians: George Butrumlis on accordion (formerly of Zydeco Jump) is a true virtuoso and was featured during a few instrumental breaks.  Even more impressive was talented pianist Gareth Chin’s epic 48-hour marathon to learn the show when advertised performer Michael Morley was too ill to play.  These men were seamless in their support of Archer’s work.

Kicking off the set was the Brecht/Weil ‘Moon Over Alabama/Whiskey Bar’ song referencing the association between Covid, lockdowns and booze: ‘In Melbourne, Dan Andrews urged us not to get into the beers too much yet Dan Murphy’s was right there beckoning us in’.  Following was W C Fields’ ‘The Fatal Glass of Beer, Whiskey Is The Devil (In Liquid Form)’ from the Bailes’ Brothers and the fabulous ‘Le Diable (ça va)’ by Jacques Brel.  Naturally, Brecht’s poetry appears with ‘The Mask of Evil’ and a version of ‘Monsieur William’ by Léo Ferré.  In a surreal jump to the Country and Western genre (‘what better way to sing about sad stuff’) and Archer’s own 1993 song ‘An Insect On The Windscreen Of My Heart’ gave the audience some light relief. 

Shifting in time, mood and theme - love, longing and emotional pain - Archer sings Handel’s 1707 ‘Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa’ with lyrics surprisingly written by cleric Cardinal Benedetto Pamphili.  ‘Plaisir d’amour’ is a delicate classical love song from 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini with lyrics taken from a poem by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian.  The melody was haunting and familiar because Wikipedia tells me it was stolen by Berlioz and arranged for orchestra and various pop-music settings including, in 1961, Elvis Presley’s steamy hit ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’.

As we shifted to another theme which encompassed evil, politics and poverty it was palpable that the songs from the past still conjure deep connection to desolation prevalent in our 21st Century.  ‘Brother Can You Spare a Dime’, written by lyricist Yip Harburg and composer Jay Gorney or ‘One Meatball’ (a 1944 update by Lou Singer and Hy Zaret of a song written in 1855 by Harvard Latin professor George Martin Lane), recall Depression-era poverty but equally could represent the streets of any City right now.  Similarly, Brecht’s 1934 poem ‘The Shopper’ could be the story of any welfare recipient today and excerpts from Brecht/Weil’s ‘The Threepenny Opera’ beautifully spoken by Archer give much to think on:  ‘However much you twist, whatever lies you tell, Food is the first thing, morals follow on’ and the entirety of the brilliant ‘What Keeps Mankind Alive’.

Further to the working-class ethic, Archer gave us a ukulele rendition of her satirical song performed at the 2012 Queen’s Jubilee concert which chronicles the shameful take-down of the Whitlam Government by the Governor General’s interference.  There were several more socio-political songs by Walter Mehring (‘The Stock Exchange Song’), Leadbelly (‘Midnight Special’), Aristide Bruant (‘Here Comes The Cholera’) and it was no wonder Archer had her trusty music stand at the ready with charts and set lists, such was the complexity of this performance.

Staying with the ‘dark times’ theme and indulging in a bit of hilarity, Noël Coward’s ‘There Are Bad Times Just Around The Corner’ and the traditional music hall song ‘They’re Moving Father’s Grave to Build a Sewer’ delighted the audience.  Finishing with ‘The Silver Swan’ by Orlando Gibbons (1612) and a rousing encore, ‘The Boys in the Backroom’, Archer held us captivated. 

Her voice may not be quite as strong as it once was, but Robyn Archer’s diction, delivery, connection, and social convictions reign supreme.  This performer is a uniquely Australian voice, lending authenticity to her extensive repertoire.

Lisa Lanzi

Photographer: Claudio Raschella

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