Reuben Kaye is raunchy, hilarious, and we love him for it
Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 21 June 2024
Give two words that define the quintessential essence of Cabaret. Answer: Reuben Kaye!!!
As you enter the Banquet Room of the Adelaide Festival Centre for his show, Kaye walks among you giving hugs and warm welcomes and you love this guy straight away. Once the show starts, he spends most of the time in the audience walking around just about each and every table giving each and everyone a close up glimpse of his magnificence. Kaye not only towers in height, but in talent as well. He says what we are all thinking (but cannot be printed) and had the audience laughing from straight off the bat all the way through to the end. His repartee is so well constructed and performed that it is almost impossible to work out what is a planned joke and what is just brilliant ad libbing.
The title of Kaye’s show this year, The End – Songs Of Finality And Farewell may sound bleak but is anything but. The theme is about how things must come to an end, but usually start again in some form or other. This year’s Cabaret Festival ends on the 22nd June, but will return next year. Kaye ends one show but will start another. One life ends but a new one begins. The show is also a sampler of some of the performances that have been or will be part of this year’s Cab Fest.
On the night reviewed the guest performers were Michelle Brasier belting out beautifully with the audience joining in; striptease artiste Imogen Kelly putting a new slant on the phrase ‘toilet humour’; the absolutely wonderful Gillian Cosgriff having us all compete for free glasses of champagne, judged by Reuben himself and his ‘understudy’, Cabaret Festival Artistic Director Virginia Gay; two of the cast of Bent Burlesque, Kitty Ibsidian taking a stapler and Pride flags out of unusual places and stapling them in even more unusual places, and Lillian Star shedding new light on the pottery scene from ‘Ghost’ (we were never allowed to make pots like that in my high school Art classes); the fabulous iOTA performing Bowie’s Five Years; and one of the most energetic performances this reviewer has ever seen by Enter serenity (trust me, she doesn’t stay serene for long).
Among all the frivolity, Kaye reminds us of the theme of the night by stunningly performing Divine Comedy’s Dark Days Are Here Again, Leonard Cohen’s Dance Me To The End Of Love, and suitably ending with The End by Scott Matthew. These three numbers, whilst being pertinent to the overall theme, also allowed Kaye to demonstrate his fantastic vocal range.
Let’s not forget to mention the well skilled, great sounding band; John McDermott on drums, Alana Dawes slapping a mean bass and Musical Director Shanon Whitelock on piano.
Reuben Kaye has won this year’s Cabaret Festival’s Cabaret Icon Award (as he kept telling and showing us lol) and demonstrates well why. Adelaide loves him and he certainly loves us back.
His two shows are Sold Out! However, fear not, if you have missed out on seeing The End it is not the end – he is performing tonight in “Bent Burlesque” as a last minute replacement for a sick cast member.
Reviewed by Brian Godfrey
Photo credit: Claudio Raschella
Venue: Banquet Room, Adelaide Festival Centre
Season: Until 22 June 2024
Duration: 1hr 30mins (no interval)
Tickets: Season Sold Out
Bookings: Season Sold Out
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