One night only performance with Ursula Yovich
Presented by: Adelaide Cabaret Festival
Reviewed: 22 June, 2023
Ursula Yovich is an award-winning actor, playwright, singer and songwriter. She takes inspiration from her Arnhem Land roots in her storytelling, poetry and music to bring together a collection of work for one night only at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
On the Dunstan Playhouse stage, Yovich is joined by a four-piece band led by Adam Ventura (of Midnight Oil fame). Ventura is particularly engaging as a musician and gives the night a sense of professionalism.
Yovich is clearly a well-loved artist in her singing and poetry. The number Remember was a highlight among a long list of original tracks performed on the night. The evening was casual and felt like a fancy jam session with friends and family (of whom there were many in the audience as well). Lyrics forgotten and reading from a script did make it difficult to connect with the storytelling attempted.
While her personality is authentic and endearing, it is a shame that there was not more connection and confidence from Yovich with the audience. The natural banter expected in a cabaret show to guide through the meaning of the many songs and help those not as familiar with her work or her story was lacking to consolidate that authenticity. The poems between songs were the most significant and could have been discussed or expanded on further to really make this evening a memorable one.
A great opportunity for fans of her work to witness Ursula Yovich’s art live but the performance requires further development to really establish itself as a Cabaret Festival event.
Reviewed by Hayley Horton
Photo credit: Claudio Raschella
Venue: The Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: Ended
Duration: 80 minutes
More News
