Barry Humphries Revives Famous Characters At Adelaide Cabaret Fest

The Adelaide Cabaret Festival is on right now at Adelaide Festival Centre, under the steady hand of Barry Humphries as Artistic Director. It’s been going since Friday, and runs until 20 Jun, so there’s still plenty left to see. Here’s some of our favourites:

ASH FLANDERS: SPECIAL VICTIM

Ash Flanders asks you to “Come laugh at his pain” with his show Special Victim, 10 – 12 Jun. You might have just caught him in Melbourne in Meme Girls at Malthouse Theatre, or last year in Hedda Gabler at Belvoir in Sydney; so now’s your chance to catch him singing all on his own, the “determinedly shallow victim”. The fastest rising star of queer, subversive theatre.

27 CLUB

The Jezabels’ Hayley Mary, Henry Wagons, Carla Lippis and Daniel Champagne pay tribute to those big voices who passed away at age 27, including Amy Winehouse, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain, 17 – 19 Jun. Now the real question: who will nail Joplin’s gravelly vocals?  

EDDIE PERFECT: SONGS FROM THE MIDDLE

The newest Play School host, beloved musician, actor, comedian, Eddie Perfect, will perform his show about coming of age in the “Riviera Of The South” of Melbourne, and charm the pants off you. Close your eyes and try not to just think of Offspring, 18 – 20 Jun.

60 YEARS OF EDNA, POSSUMS!

Our great Dame, Edna Everage, has had us chuckling at the upper class for 60 years. That’s quite the commitment from Barry Humphries. This exhibition is actually running until 30 Aug; get a glimpse of the fabulous wardrobe up close, bejewelled glasses and all.

CLASS OF CABARET

On 14 Jun, go back to school to catch fledgling cabaret artists take flight – they’re students from secondary schools across SA, who have been trained by the likes of Matthew Carey, Michael Griffiths, Kim Spargo, Amelia Ryan and Stacey McCandless in the art of song and dance.

TREVOR ASHLEY: I’M EVERY WOMAN

“27 dresses, 14 wigs, and one extremely hard-working wind machine”. If that doesn’t get you through the door of drag artist Trevor Ashley’s one-diva-show, we don’t know what will. What’s coming out of the mouth of this babe? Judy Garland, Dusty Springfield, Whitney Houston, Liza Minnelli, and more, 18 – 20 Jun.

LOVE SONGS FOR SIR LES

For the last night of the festival,20 Jun, you can catch the world premiere of Love Songs For Sir Les, a tribute to the (not actually real) man, performed by Barry Humphries. The act will also feature other acts from the festival, line-up as yet unknown.

HANNAH GADSBY: ART LITE

On 13 & 14 Jun, let droll comedian Hannah Gadsby guide you through Artspace Gallery. What do you get when you cross an art history degree with comedy? This. This show. That was not a set-up to a joke.

ALAN BROUGH & CASEY BENNETTO: THE NARELLES

Post-punk band The Narelles are playing a comeback gig. Forgot who The Narelles are? Don’t worry, us too, but it’s been 27 years and Brough and Bennetto (remember the original Spicks & Specks, and Keating! The Musical) are back to remind you, 11 – 13 Jun.

TEX PERKINS & THE DARK HORSES

Tex Perkins will be joined by his Dark Horses -- Charlie Owen, Joel Silbersher, Murray Paterson, Stephen Hadley and Gus Agars – on 10 & 11 Jun for a one-hour gig. Don’t go expect a Beasts Of Bourbon or Cruel Sea gig, go expecting everything about Perkins that makes him such an enthralling performer.