Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 6 June 2015
Cabaret doyenne Meow Meow is perhaps know as much for her comedy as she is for her voice, depending from which angle you approach her performance. She’s outrageously unpredictable, both with her throw-away lines and her staged mayhem that can come at any moment amongst her vast repertoire of original and cover songs.
In His Master’s Choice however, the primary focus is on the music, in particular songs from the Weimar Republic (1919 to 1933) which ruled Germany soon after the end of World War 1 until the beginning of Nazi Germany. The songs, therefore, are mostly sung in German, with some French thrown in for good measure and the occasional English number for those needing to understand the lyrics.
Meow, to call her by her first name – or is it her last? – can command a stage regardless of language and whether she’s standing downstage centre or lying on the floor partially hidden behind her foldback speakers. A subtle look or well-placed pause can engender as much laughter as crowd-surfing four unsuspecting audience members.
The range of genre covered is more impressive than her voice range, which is no mean feat. She can fire off a patter song as easily as she can devastate with a ballad about suicide. His Master’s Voice is a rollercoaster of pace and emotion, expertly timed and delivered for maximum impact. Only her final, interpreted poetry reading seemed to end suddenly as if something had gone wrong, particularly given the success of the comical routine up until that point.
In this World Premiere show, she is accompanied by two musicians, including composer Iain Grandage. With only two performances, the first of which was sold out, she manages to highlight the downside of a Festival, in that there is never enough stage time to go around. Most punters will miss out unless they get to the box office schnell!
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating (out of 5): 4
Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: 6-7 June 2015
Duration: 70 minutes
Tickets: $24.95 – $54.90
Bookings: Book online through the Adelaide Cabaret Festival website or phone BASS on 131 246
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