𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐁 𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐓
Adelaide Fringe 2026
Aurora Spiegeltent, The Garden of Earthly Delights
8 March, 2026

Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett is what its title suggests, a show conceived by Ms Dieter. She is a chanteuse backed up by a rather loud band, singing songs interspersed with mostly circus acts. This ‘Mistress of Mayhem’ got things rolling, interacting with four men from the audience whom she enticed onto the stage, teaching them a dance routine and employing an abundance of touchy-feely antics. The assembled loved it, desperate to be entertained.

Her supporting cast are all skilled performers – a drag artist with black moustache, in long frocks, big wigs and high heels, a smoking tap-dancer in a fur coat, redolent of Berlin-punk, a scantily-clad fire-dancer/eater who proceeded to burn her titties, culminating, as a mini-finale, to ignite her crotch – it was indeed a burning bush.

There I sat wanting a change from these head-thumping routines, and it comes in the guise of our lanky drag queen who gives us a charming rendition of ‘La vie en rose’ – a moment of lyricism, and the only French number in the show, of which Edith would have approved. However, this is soon shattered as the gear came off and we are subjected to the full monty, with only black tape, resembling pubic hair, between the legs. That was not enough however, the tape is ripped off (ouch!) and soon a penis, as well as a secret of the drag queen trade, is exposed.

Later this performer returns with a cream cake, does a dance routine, strips off and sans black tape, gives us an encore of the shaved pudenda and member. Then simulated sexual intercourse with said cake takes place. The audience screamed, of course, receives howls and bales of laughter, thrusting the pelvis into the culinary creation, making quite a mess on the stage. Pushing the limits of cabaret and sheer shock value, I believe, but is it entertainment?

Another act of note is the dusky, incredibly supple, contortionist who gives ambidexterity a new meaning in a mind-boggling display of what a double-jointed person can accomplish. Truly amazing! As well, the muscular gentleman on the trapeze thrilled us with an expert display and mastery of his art.

There is much to be admired in this show but if you are thinking Liza Minelli or Joel Grey, you’ll be disappointed. Club Kabarett is the way of the world in the cabaret genre, it seems, and this reviewer, although admiring the precision and skill of the performers, was not particularly enamoured with some of its content, its perversity, its loudness, and its vulgarity. However, the audience lapped it up and who am I to be contrary? I would like to have given it fewer stars, but it would be churlish of me to go against popular consensus and the international media, n’est-ce pas?