There is a woman sprawled across the keys of a grand piano. She rises, sings a song and composes herself in order for her grand introduction. Adelaide’s Anya Anastasia presents herself as a dejected diva and, through original songs and plenty of audience interaction, she’s going to sort out her love life and maybe teach us some lessons along the way.
like a flirty Tim Minchin in a gown
Anastasia is a fabulous lyricist; she’s like a flirty Tim Minchin in a gown and her biting lyrics are delivered in a variety of styles as she sits at the grand piano or clambers across the front row of the audience. Her backing band of Annie Siegmann (bass), Bec Matthews (Drums) and Laurie Black on keys are super tight and also get in on the action; sweeping the stage, setting the scene for an impromptu picnic and swiping half drank bottles of bubbly.
The audience feel a little flat on this rainy Friday evening apart, of course, from those who receive Anastasia’s direct attention. Perhaps their reticence is because they are hoping that she won’t pick on them or maybe it’s just a little too warm in the dark, smoky room. However, Anastasia is relentless in her performance and she’s pulling out all the stops to keep the energy high. There’s handstands, ukulele, maracas and, oh so much flirting. As a framing device for the cabaret, Anastasia searching the audience for that one perfect mate is a fun conceit and allows her the opportunity to interact with several ladies and gentlemen. She’s also something of a keyboard contortionist; bending her body into ridiculous positions as she bangs out another excellent tune on the grand piano.
This diva is looking for love but the audience is full of exes and it might just be the apocalypse. Honest, it’s just glitter in her eye.
