Let’s be honest, Tash York as a solo cabaret performer was always a little bit chaotic. Even though her original compositions, quick wit and on-the-spot improvised songs were masterful, there was some delight in her rough edges.
With her Chaos
Cabaret, Tash has achieved, if not her final form, some kind of apotheosis:
a woman playing a man playing a woman and hosting special guests that she
messes with during their performances. There’s also some of her signature
improvisation, so she continues to put herself under a similar sort of
pressure, and it’s all in good fun.
Last night,
her special guests were burlesque performer Flynn V, drag legend Valerie Hex
and cabaret queen Geraldine Quinn. They each took to the stage to perform
something from their repertoire and Tash threw something at them – a change in
tempo, a change in song or some surprise backup dancers – that they had to work
through. The audience then had a chance to vote for who wore the chaos best.
The music
to Flynn’s dance routine was sped up to ridiculous and he managed to keep
going, even if he did kick off his very tall heels to keep from doing
himself or the audience some damage. Valerie Hex’s drag lip synch turned from
her planned act to performing as Cher doing a West Side Story medley
to huge cheers and applause from the audience. Geraldine Quinn was belting out “Total
Eclipse of the Heart” when all of a sudden, she was surrounded by dancers in
inflatable penis costumes. Uproarious laughter almost brought the house down.
It was amazing.
Hex was voted out by the audience, but got her revenge on
Tash by interjecting random words while Tash improvised a song about Esmerelda
who liked eggplant laksa.
The second half of the show relies more on Tash’s
improvisation skills. Geraldine had to help with a song about Darren, the
potato farmer. And Flynn danced to a song about Patricia, the gynaecologist.
The audience had to help with suggestions, but got stuck on potatoes and pussy
very early on, but everyone on stage was happy to grab them and run with them.
There was a lot of joy amongst the performers and the crowd
at Chaos Cabaret last night. It’s a shame it’s only on twice during Fringe. So
don’t miss Sunday’s show – you never know what you’ll see! But it will be the best
kind of chaos – funny, ridiculous and queer as fuck.
- Keith Gow, Theatre First
Chaos Cabaret is on at Trades Hall as part of MelbourneFringe one more time, Sunday October 5
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