The Chamber at THE QUEENS, Sat 27 Feb.
The ‘Late Night Variety Show’ has become quite the staple format of Adelaide Fringe in the past few years. It’s tasting plate of comedians, burlesque performers, singers, jugglers and everything else and a lucky dip – because you never quite know what it is you are buying a ticket to. The line-ups are not usually announced and you trust the venue to be bringing you a great line-up every night. Performers do as many of these shows as they can, as they are like an infomercial for people to get a little taste of your show and maybe come and buy a ticket to the real thing.
Tonight’s line-up is hosted by Marnie McQueen a talented singer and comedian, in various guises like Karen Barnes (COVID Marshall/Border security officer) and Rosa Waxoffski – Celebrity Bikini Waxer. Rosa is a classic ‘variety’ act, and glues proceedings together well, opening with a medley of songs by Queen and Depeche Mode.
Comedian Dilruk Jayasinha (Utopia, Have You Been Paying Attention, etc) does a very funny bracket of material about getting thrown out of I’m A Celebrity in the first round and disgusting flatmates. Steven Kreamer knocks out a very strong I Feel The Earth Move (Carole King) before introducing us to an hilarious but filthy song from his yet to be completed Phar Lap musical. He is currently doing his show Don’t Make Me Play Piano Man until Sat 6 Mar at the same venue.
A couple of artists from Smashed at The Brunch Party are next. Smashed is a variety/burlesque/comedy show at 10:30am in The Garden Of Unearthly Delights – with an actual brunch. Firstly, the stunning Liz Barker sets pulses racing with a lingerie-removing burlesque routine, then sequin covered Victoria Falconer arrives with her piano accordion for a smokin’ take of Robyn’s Dancing On My Own and is joined by Alex De Porteous replying with Grace Jones I’ve Seen That Face Before. Terrific stuff!
Catherine Alcorn, fresh from her excellent show SING TOGETHER with Paul McDermott earlier, belts out a brassy version of Ms Celie’s Blues from The Colour Purple. The bass player in the band hasn’t been given the arrangements and what follows is text book example of why there is no text book for live cabaret. With expert guidance from pianist Alex Winger yelling key changes, and Catherine’s coaxing and conducting on the fly, the band create a sterling arrangement of Bette Midler’s version of Do You Wanna Dance out of thin air – because that is what talented human beings do. Great save everybody