What to wear to a cabaret show where the dress code was “dress for the end of the world or the beginning”? Sorry, my supernova outfit is still in the laundry. Luckily, there was plenty of yellow and black warning tape to wrap into. The audience was warned to be ready to smash some mirrors, but I am relieved to announce that no mirrors were actually harmed during the show. Bad Luck Cabaret was a real gem among many over produced cabarets currently on the circuit.
this was the fourth hula hoop act I’ve seen on the Fringe this year, so it is getting a bit repetitive. There are only so many things you can do with hula hoops
Our feisty host Laurie Black looks like a character from Sin City, which is a compliment – I think. The London based singer actually happens to be a classically trained pianist. This might explain some of her punk I don’t give a flying f**k attitude. The hour-long show featured original songs about love, doom and alcohol accompanied by Laurie’s piano.
There were also two guest acts, KiKi LaHula, who combined roller-skates and hula hoops. Roller-skates brought a great dynamic to the performance, but this was the fourth hula hoop act I’ve seen on the Fringe this year, so it is getting a bit repetitive. There are only so many things you can do with hula hoops.
The second guest act, however, was something else. With a Game of Thrones backing track, Aussie acrobats Cal Harris and Thomas Gorham gave a gravity defying portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen’s and Khal Drogo’s aerial antics. I don’t remember Daenerys wearing blue briefs in the tv show though. The Melbourne based act is a superb mix of old school slapstick comedy and new school acrobatics.
Laurie Black was sassy, funny and, above all, a talented musician. Perhaps she still needs a bit more practice in using the mic when hosting; she was a bit screechy at times. There were some rough edges, but they just accentuated the spontaneous nature of the performance. There was even a drinking game and a dress-up competition thrown into the mix. The late-night audience was keen to participate by singing, meowing, stomping and whooping at her every request.
This was a solid hour of happy-go-lucky escapism with refreshingly alternative cabaret acts. There was just one last question: do you feel lucky or unlucky?
