The Carpenters from Kempsey – The Queens Theatre – The Chamber
Review Saturday 13/03/2021
Before I begin this review, I should start by saying I love the Queens Theatre our 1840 masterpiece tucked away off Currie Street, Adelaide. I could be overstating it, but that is just my opinion and I really enjoy making my way to shows in “The Chamber” via the Queens Bar and the beautifully lit entrance. Inside the theatre for my third time this season I was welcomed by a near full house and our 1970’s throwback presentation, “The Carpenters from Kempsey.”
Darren and Debora (AKA Darren and Sharon) propelled the audience back to a time when we watched The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island and Skippy on the tele, we all had an embarrassing Uncle, Mum smoked in the kitchen, we never counted calories and the kids rode their bikes or walked everywhere without a mobile phone. There were many funny moments in the show and jibes about Darren’s sexuality or Sharon’s promiscuity, but it was the music and what they did with it that impressed me the most.
I am a massive Carpenters fan and think that Karen Carpenter was one of the finest female singers in her generation. The Carpenters catalogue is a roadmap of love songs and sing-alongs and the audience knew every word. Darren on the piano and mostly harmonies was the creator/writer of this show and provided much of the comedy, but Debora’s voice was just phenomenal.
It is easy to see that Debora has honed her craft over many years in the Theatre in Sydney and it was uncanny how accurate she was in Karen’s shoes. Her poise, length of notes, tone, and the way she inhabited Karen’s voice had me closing my eyes and thinking what it could have been like to see her live.
I really enjoyed the comedic portions of the show and the change up of John Denver’s “Thank god I’m a (Kempsey) Country Boy.” Debora’s Calling occupants of interplanetary craft with a YMCA dance move and a bit of a Madison in another song garnished plenty of laughs from the room. Darren even had a reference to Don Dunstan’s shiny balls in the mall and reminded us that the Akubra came from Kempsey.
The song list was spot on and included a couple of diversions, “Islands in the Stream” and a Carpenters imagined Jimmy Barnes medley. I won’t list all the songs because you should go and see this show yourself. I will say that some of my favourites were, “Superstar”, We’ve only Just Begun” and the final Burt Bacharach track, “Close to You.”
A well-deserved standing ovation was given by many of the over 200 patrons. The Carpenters (from Kempsey) with an Aussie twist, apart from being very funny at times is an extremely polished, professional and well-presented look back at a time when lyrics were important, and musicians were live and not overproduced. Darren Mapes and the gorgeous Debora Krizak combined perfectly to remind us of the quality contained in the music of Richard and Karen Carpenter. There is one more show on Sunday 21 March 2021 at the fabulous Queens Theatre, book now below.
***** 5 stars
Close your eyes, “The Carpenters from Kempsey” could be the real thing.
Reviewer – Stephen Foenander for Adelaide Review Team (ART)
Book at https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/carpenters-from-kempsey-af2021
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