Confronting, heart-warming, emotional and entertaining - Baylie Carson is a extraordinary performer who bares their heart and soul in this powerful new cabaret
Presented by: Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed: 11 June, 2026
It’s not an easy feat to stand in front of an audience and share your life story, your highs and your lows with nothing off limits. To add to the challenge, the audience is in your hometown and full of family and friends. Baylie Carson has returned to Adelaide with their incredible and confronting show Baylie Carson is Handsome(ish) and premiered this new work at this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
Baylie, originating here in Adelaide and now living and working in London, is known to many in the Adelaide theatre community. They grew up here, went to school here and fell in love with the theatre through Pelican Productions. Their career has seen them move to London and be cast as the first non-binary performer in the smash-hit musical SIX as well as Janice in Mean Girls. Baylie Carson is Handsome(ish) is their love-letter to themselves, their public journey and the battles they went through to find and discover the person they are.
Carson’s bubbly personality instantly wins the crowd over, but it is their connection to lyrics and story-telling that steals their hearts. Working with their musical director and accompanist, Shannon D Whitelock, they have composed some incredibly powerful songs that only enhance Carson’s exceptional story-telling. A standout is the moving piece Carson wrote to her sister. I don’t think there was a dry-eye in the audience. Carson’s voice is exceptional. From the tender, heart-wrenching ballads through to the more up-beat numbers where Carson showcases their incredible range and riff skills, it highlighted why Carson is a West End star.
Between each song, Carson weaves their life story from prepubescent years, through school traumas, self-discovery, mental health and sexuality. However, their openness about their journey with bulimia strongly resonated with a lot of the audience. They also peppered throughout the show different definitions and historical uses of the word ‘handsome’ to describe female-identifying people. Also running through the performance were Carson’s constant references to and stories about their family. Family holds a special place with Carson, and you could see their excitement to share their family (who were present front and centre in the Space Theatre) with the audience.
The show, at times, felt a little rough around the edges and needed a little more workshopping to help the flow, but you can easily overlook this as it really showed the audience Baylie’s authentic self.
Carson is the recipient of the Frank Ford Commission, which allowed them to return to Adelaide and write this powerful Cabaret show.
It is always wonderful to see South Australians doing great things both nationally and internationally. Carson is exceptional and Baylie Carson is Handsome(ish)is a beautiful showcase to Adelaide of the exceptional performer, and the fierce human, they are.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Claudio Raschella
Venue: Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: 11 – 12 June 2026
Duration: 1 hour
Tickets: $49 – $54 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://cabaret.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/baylie-carson-is-handsome-ish
