Melbourne is a city bursting with talent, but sometimes it can feel that performers, companies and venues are more comfortable following trends and keeping to a formula that is tried, true and guaranteed to pull a crowd. And no one can really be blamed for this, with the current social and economic climate here in Australia doing very little to support cultural wealth or investment in the arts..
So when you stumble upon a group of performers that have banded together, and broke away from their usual shtick, visually engaging, impressive and able to pull a crowd, but perhaps lacking in any real depth or substance. you have to take a moment and congratulate them.
The group of performers in question are led by the demure Becky Lou in Seen and Heard and joining her on stage at The Butterfly Club are Clara Cupcakes, Frankie Valentine, Jessamae St James and Melbourne’s latest drag sensation Karen from Finance. Each individual give to this performance there all in a manner that ‘s is as humorous as it’s beautifully vulnerable yet above all else, exceptionally honest.
Following a simple formula where each individual takes to the stage and deliver routines that have been central to their careers and the reason for their notoriety. But what follows each of these scenes is the real magic, removing their “mask” each sharing deeply personal stories, that are confronting, heart warming and reflective. Adding to this mix is a nervousness and the intimate setting, for many of them this performance has offered the first opportunity to incorporate story telling into the art of burlesque, cabaret, song and drag.
Looking around at what is currently being presented here in Melbourne, what this show possesses is a concept and a set of values that are otherwise not represented or explored enough by local artists. By opposing the idea of glamourizing narrative or creating heightened experiences through the over use of projection, lighting and other theatrical device, this performance succeeds.
You leave the performance feeling as though you have just witnessed something special, it is as if audience are integral part of the performance, not due to loathed audience interaction, but because this is a work that inherently and without question trusts the audience to provide a supportive environment.
It deserve to be seen and heard by not just the general public, but by other performers as a fine example of how best to shake things up and diversify between different forms and theatrical device, it plays till this Sunday at The Butterfly Club, for more info click here
