Tag Archives: cabaret

On/Off (Bordello Theatre)

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onoff2Venue: Bordello Theatre (Potts Point NSW), Nov 30 – Dec 15, 2013
Playwright: Lisa Chappell
Director: Scott Witt
Actors: Lisa Chappell, Marissa Dikkenberg
Image by Simon Dikkenberg

Theatre review
When an actor and a singer come together to create a work in the cabaret space, it is a sure sign that they are on a mission to break theatrical rules in order to create something unique and fresh. On/Off certainly gives us something new and innovative, but more than that, this is a work that entertains, fascinates, and connects on many levels. It takes its audience on an emotional roller coaster ride, well aware that it is the contrast of funny and sad that makes each reaction more powerful. We laugh and cry, and laugh again. With its unusual structure and excellent performances, the show forces us to let down our guard, and takes control of all our sentiments.

Scott Witt’s direction is superb. He constantly plays with juxtapositions, making use of the wildly different characteristics of the two actors, and the spacial concepts of on stage and off stage, and crafts a work that is as emotionally volatile as it is confident in its structure and plot. The journey is incredibly bumpy, but the destination is crystal clear. The experience of witnessing one actor on stage, and the other off, while listening to a familiar cabaret standard, is a pleasure that has to be seen to be believed.

Marissa Dikkenberg’s depiction of her character’s disintegration is marvellous. Her singing voice is strong, but she uses her skills carefully to maintain the believability of her character. Sara is a bland “Stepford housewife” type, who goes through a thorough and clamorous break down, progressing from a chirpy and sober state of delusion into a complete drunken mess. Lisa Chappell’s presence in the tiny Bordello Theatre is colossal, and her acting is faultless. Her drama and comedy are both high octane, but the gory authenticity she puts into her work makes every moment convincing. Chappell’s performance is determined to hit her audience like a ton of bricks. It is unabashed, unapologetic theatricality at its most flamboyant and audacious, and completely delicious.

This is alternative art, but formulated with the intention to communicate to wide audiences. It is a story about life’s disappointments, human resilience, and the value of friendship. These themes are universal, and also passionate. The words to one of the songs in the show sum things up best, “you’ve got to laugh a little, cry a little… and when the world is through with us, we’ve got each other’s arms.” Many things happen in On/Off, but what endures is The Glory Of Love.

www.facebook.com/lisachappellonoff

Spoil Your Love Life (The Newsagency)

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spoilVenue: The Newsagency (Marrickville NSW), Oct 29 – Nov 9, 2013
Performer and devisor: Michelle Pastor
Musical director: Alison Avron

Theatre review
Michelle Pastor and her show Spoil Your Love Life are above all else, quirky. Pastor’s brand of endearing silliness is amplified in one of the smallest venues in Sydney, The Newsagency. This 40-minute comedy cabaret piece is not the most ambitious of creations, and it springs forth from the simplest of premises, but “small theatre” like this can certainly amuse and entertain.

Pastor is a performer with great conviction and natural charm. The songs for her show are well-chosen, and Alison Avron’s arrangements are pleasantly structured. Pastor has some tuning issues that are exposed by the intimacy of the room, but her phrasing is strong, and she uses the songs well to tell her character Hanna’s story.

Hannah has a deep infatuation for movie star Hugh Jackman, and the glitzy Hollywood lifestyle he represents. The elusiveness of “the big time” is a theme of the show, but it is a comforting idea that emerging Australian theatre practitioners like Pastor are able to showcase their work, irrespective of clout or stardom.

www.michellerose.com.au

The Hardest Part Of Love (New Theatre)

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thehardestpartofloveVenue: New Theatre (Newtown NSW), Sep 24 – 28, 2013
Director: Aaron Robuck
Choreographer: Aaron Robuck
Writer: Aaron Robuck
Musical Director: Gavin Lockley
Performers: Aaron Robuck, Leah Simmons, Gary Robuck

Theatre review
Aaron Robuck is an extraordinarily talented young man with big ambitions. The Hardest Part Of Love sees him stretch his abilities to the limit, working as producer, writer, director and choreographer, in addition to being the only lead performer in his show. Robuck has good charisma and timing, and has no problems connecting with his audience. His impressively powerful singing voice comes across as his strongest asset, but it eclipses the other elements in the show that can appear pale by comparison.

The ensemble of back up dancers and singers are accomplished, but they are not always incorporated well. They are effective in the comedy sections, but at other points, their presence is not always necessary and can expose the weakness in Robuck’s choreography. The story is a very personal one, and Robuck’s performance abilities are more than enough for him to put up a great show without too much razzle dazzle. It would be interesting also, if a director was appointed to lend some objectivity and to focus Robuck’s talents to greater effect.

Religion plays a big part of Robuck’s story and it is responsible for a lot of the show’s success. It adds colour and idiosyncrasy, providing unusual insight and gives an interesting voice to an otherwise conventional coming-of-age story. Ultimately, the fundamental joy in this production is Aaron Robuck’s singing, and some editing to the staging would have elevated it to something even more spectacular.

www.facebook.com/TheHardestPartOfLove

Keira Daley Vs The 90s (Seymour Centre)

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keiradaley3Venue: Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre (Sydney NSW), Sep 18 – 21, 2013
Writer: Keira Daley
Musical Director: Mark Chamberlain
Performer: Keira Daley

Theatre review
Keira Daley’s last show was entitled Lady Nerd and that has become the moniker which she proudly uses for all her cabaret acts. The connotation of a socially awkward person is amplified on Daley’s stage, and it becomes a starting point for comedy as well as fertile ground for idiosyncratic material.

Daley is a performer bursting with enthusiasm. The passion she brings to the stage proves that theatre is where her heart is, even if she portrays herself as someone who is probably more suited to the accounting or technology industries. In Keira Daley Vs The 90s, she performs a mixture of original songs and hits from the 1990s, from luminaries like Des’ree, Soundgarden, Frente, Jamiroquai, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In between each song, she reminisces about her days in school and teenage life, ensuring an abundance of goose bumps and cringing laughter especially if the audience is between the ages of 30 and 50.

The show ends with a moving original composition, and the slightly sentimental tone works well amongst all the giddy hilarity. In fact, one comes away from the show hoping that the artist’s softer feelings had been allowed to present themselves throughout the show. Daley’s back up band is delightful and contribute a wonderful effervescent energy, even though one does wonder if they had even been conceived when the Friends television show first appeared.

www.facebook.com/ladynerdcabaret
www.seymourcentre.com

Oh! My Shattered Illusions (Seymour Centre)

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Kelly Young New CabaretVenue: Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre (Sydney NSW), Sep 12 – 14, 2013
Writer: Kelly Young
Director: Chris Rutherford
Musical Director: Peter McDonald
Performer: Kelly Young

Theatre review
The show starts with a song about taboos. Indeed the cabaret is the perfect space for the exploration of the subversive, antithetical, and rude. Fortunately, even though Kelly Young’s material is frequently bawdy and coarse, her most memorable features are her warm sincerity and open-hearted joy. Without the slightest hint of menace or cattiness, any joke she makes no matter how extreme, is met with gleeful and knowing laughter.

Young’s material is full of thoughtful wit that delivers a wonderful sense of playfulness. Along with musical director Peter McDonald, Young performs her songs beautifully, and every line is allowed to resonate with meaning and emotion. Her voice is perfectly suited to the style of cabaret she and director Chris Rutherford have created, and one gets a sense of a performer finding the ideal niche for her talents in this production.

The show talks about Young’s “shattered illusions” in terms of a woman growing into her own, and discovering that the wonder of life lies not in myths and promises. Her existence is a blissful one, and her performance, uplifting and infectious. This is a night of song and comedy that comes from a place of enlightenment, and what we witness is a labour of, and about, love.

www.facebook.com/KellyYoungNewCabaret
www.seymourcentre.com