Presented by La Boheme
Reviewed 11 June 2014
This is a strange subject for a cabaret show, and I have seen many odd collections, but it is surprisingly positive.
Most people who have survived open-heart surgery would thank their lucky stars and move on. Shelley Dunstone isn’t most people. On an intimate stage and with a few songs that fit the story, she takes us through the discovery of her problem and the options she was given. She also discusses her fears and uncertainties and how the whole situation made her feel.
The songs to some extent are predictable: Listen to Your Heart when being diagnosed; You go to my Head and Come Fly with Me while being medicated; Magical Mystery Tour and Morning Town Ride while recovering…
Shelley also gave us a nice version of The Sound of Silence. She finished on an upbeat note with The Best is Yet to Come, all of it very capably accompanied by the talented Emma Knights.
The dialogue that Shelley enters into is unselfconscious and is never intended to shock or seek sympathy; she just tells it like it is. Shelley has a relaxed style that invites the audience to share her story.
This is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but musically it is interesting and it exposes another side to the human condition while the surgeons “unbreak” her heart… well mend it, anyway.
Reviewed by Fran Edwards
Twitter: @Franeds
Venue: La Boheme
Season: 11, 14 & 15 June 2014
Duration: 1 hour
Tickets: $18.00 -$25.00
Bookings: Book through the Cabaret Fringe Festival online or tickets at the door if not sold out.