Claiming, with delightful accuracy, to be “Adelaide’s best unknown export,” Frankly returns to her hometown for this year’s Cabaret Fringe Festival with Doom Box , a chaotic, charming hour of cabaret that’s perfectly unhinged! On Tuesday night at The Howling Owl, we were welcomed into Frankly’s realm: just her, a mic, a keyboard, and a madcap mind full of biting wit and musical mischief. With a voice that instantly impresses and original songs that take unexpected, hilarious turns, it’s clear that Frankly’s brand of cabaret is completely her own. She’s nutty in the best way- wild-eyed, quick-tongued, and gloriously unpredictable. You’re laughing before you even fully register what she’s said. One moment you're admiring her vocal control and piano chops, the next you’re jaw-dropped and bursting out laughing at a lyric about getting banned from Kilburn Savers (and you’ll have to see the show to find out why!). Frankly’s set list roams freely, from childhood memories of befriending th...

Friday night in Saint-Tropez!  Ticked off another musical in the theatre cannon that I haven't seen before - La Cage au Folles! Based on Jean Poiret’s 1973 French Play, this musical adaptation first premiered on Broadway in 1983. Breaking ground at the time for LBGTQ+ representation in musical theatre, the show is a joyful celebration of uniqueness, love and acceptance. Georges, the owner of a drag nightclub in Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin, the star performer who appears as the glamorous Zaza, are sent into turmoil when George’s son announces his engagement to the daughter of a conservative politician. Ordered to keep up a more “respectable” appearance for his future in-laws, Georges attempts to hide their unconventional family life, including Albin. Chaos and confusion ensue, culminating in an uplifting resolution about staying true to oneself.  Michael Bates as Albin and Daniel Flemming as Georges were a delight to watch, their hilarious banter was balanced with a com...