During Friday night’s late night Cabaret Festival show, 25th Birthday Party, Virginia Gay handed the artistic director reins to the incredible Reuben Kaye.
A familiar face to audiences across the country through his acclaimed performances at major festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, incoming Artistic Director Reuben Kaye has garnered acclaim and a devoted following for his bold, subversive cabaret.
He’s no stranger to Adelaide Cabaret Festival either, having performed in standout shows such as Reuben Kaye: Live and Intimate, The End and enGORGEd, leaving audiences laughing, gasping, and coming back for more. In his new role, Reuben will continue to push boundaries and celebrate bold, brave performances.
Reuben spoke to Glam Adelaide about the exciting new appointment. We asked Rueben, has the news sunk in yet?
“I think that the out of body experience is going to take a long time to dissipate. It could be the enormity of the oncoming task or it could be the tranquillisers that are still coursing through my system! All I know is, suddenly my brain has switched into high gear – I am looking and searching and researching and thinking of every performer I’ve worked with throughout Europe and America, through cabaret and burlesque and performance art to find dark, sexy, angry performers who are challenging the world and challenging systems.”
Every year the foyers are filled with curious chatter about who will be appointed the next artistic director, and this year was no different.
“There are a couple of people who over the last few months have been going, ‘When are you going to do it, when are you going to do it?’ and I’ve had to keep my mouth uncharacteristically shut. There was a moment after watching Virginia do it when I said to the Festival, ‘I don’t think I could ever do this job like Virginia does it. I’m amazed.’ Then when the call came in, I said yes. For me this is the first time programming, first time artistically directing, first time in charge of a budget, and that alone is a laughable concept. But in the end, the festival means too much to me, and to be able to celebrate the art form that’s nurtured me and given me a voice – that alone was the reasoning.”
The Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and similar festivals around the world, are vital for audiences, venues and performers alike.
“These festivals are critical for audiences, because audiences are spoiled for choice right now. They could go everywhere, and at the same time, because of that, It’s easy to stay home and just watch something you’ve seen before on Netflix. But it’s wonderful to have a festival like this, or the Adelaide Fringe, which puts it all on a platter in front of you, especially at the Cabaret Festival, where we can do curated nights. We can program a night for you. Come along, pay your money, and you’ll see three shows and have a meal. It makes it easier. It takes that audience member and sort of focuses their gaze on performers they wouldn’t normally have a chance to see, or maybe they wouldn’t even think to see. You know, Tomáš Kantor this year is a revelation, but audiences wouldn’t have had the chance to see Sugar without the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.”
Reuben promises that the 2026 Cabaret Festival will be as dark and juicy as he is.
“For me, cabaret has always been a form of pushing back. It’s always been the lens through which we view a terrifying world, and given the global landscape right now I’d say it’s the perfect time for cabaret to flourish. For me, my Cabaret Festival theme is ‘Delicious Revolution’. I’m looking for performers who challenge the status quo; I’m looking for the dangerous minds in our ranks.”
We were curious to know if current artistic director Virginia Gay has passed on any advice to Reuben.
“Virginia is such a forcefully nurturing human being. We’ve had a WhatsApp group going for quite a while and Virginia just shouts voice notes down, going, ‘REMEMBER THIS.. THIS IS SOMETHING I HAD TO DO!” Virginia has been an amazing resource as have the team at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. I feel very taken care of. They have been very on board with most of my ideas so far.”
Reuben shared some additional thoughts for the 2026 Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
“I want to re-energize and re-imagine what the foyer spaces look like for people. I want to make sure that there’s free things to do in this festival. For people who can’t afford ticket prices, I want to make sure there are things that don’t cost a lot of money. I want to reiterate and reinforce the idea that Adelaide has a connection to the cabaret scene globally, and that the cabaret scene globally is more connected than we ever truly thought. Hopefully in some way that helps us remember that as isolated as we are in Australia, we’re all part of something much greater.”
There are limited tickets remaining to Reuben’s 2025 Cabaret Festival show, enGORGEd XXL, playing Saturday 21 June, 7.30pm at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at: https://cabaret.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/reuben-kaye-engorged-xxl
Photo credit: Claudio Raschella
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