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Showtime!

 
James Macfarlane Review by James Macfarlane 3 Published: 21 Aug 2024 C ARTS | C venues | C aurora Show Dates: 31 Jul 2024-25 Aug 2024

Em Hoggett brings her twist on the one-woman cabaret show to C Venue. She’s certainly got a story to tell and from the very beginning, she, or should I say The Master, has us hooked.

Em Hoggett is one of the freshest faces on the cabaret scene

It’s a testament to Hoggett’s talent as a performer that she’s able to keep up an insane level of energy for this wild ride of a show. It’s not just her acting chops that are put through the ringer. Her musical talent shines through. Classically trained on piano, Hoggett keeps a keyboard in the corner, seemingly becoming a comfort to her during this dark narrative. The keyboard appearances are always a highlight (I’ve never seen someone play the piano behind their back before, quite a mean feat.)

Hoggett’s story is a personal and intense one. The final ten or so minutes are particularly harrowing, evidence of Hoggett’s ability to keep an audience hooked. It’s very powerful. I’m not here to critique her own story – that’s not for me to do. The hour itself is a great start for Hoggett, who has much greater plans for the show going forward. On the whole, Showtime! does suffer from some structuring issues, however, the show demonstrates why Em Hoggett is one of the freshest faces on the cabaret scene.

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The Blurb:

If Tim Burton met Stephen Sondheim in the KitKat Club… and they were a woman… This twisted one-woman musical is an electric exploration of the life of the artist. As Amelia's prime source of inspiration, her charismatic alter-ego, The Master, gradually becomes her sadistic captor, we travel through the depths of workaholism and the lengths one will go in pursuit of "the dream". A frantic Dad, dodgy agent, oh… and that 65-year-old boyfriend, all come to life through The Master's larger-than-life 'Show Dahling!', while Amelia believes one thing is more important than entertaining an audience: the truth.