Upon entering the petite tent, Deluxe at the Pleasure Gardens, ushers at the door ordering patrons to “squeeze up” immediately conjures two thoughts. Firstly, I found myself wondering whether the tent had been named ironically and second, I knew I was in for a truly Fringe experience.
The miniature arena set the mood for an intimate and inclusive show. When Geraldine Quinn and Michael de Grussa emerged from the curtain less than ten meters away, I knew it would be a truly up close and personal experience as I counted each fleck of glitter on Quinn’s eyelids.
The pair, armed only with two microphones, a keyboard and a guitar opened with an expectedly cheesy number (that I admittedly did not recognize) and I wondered what I was in for. After the opening number, Quinn and de Grussa charmed the audience with goofy anecdotes and I lowered my guard, ready to let the corny wave wash over me.
‘All Out Of Pride’ is a show of the songs you’re ashamed to love, and they’ve certainly met the criteria. I was not disappointed as Quinn launched immediately into ‘A Whole New World’ from Disney’s ‘Aladdin’, complete with a powerfully American twang that we’ve come to expect from Disney show tunes.
The pair continued to impress the audience with a variety of numbers from the past few decades. Some of the songs were obvious choices, others more obscure but certainly no less entertaining.
A roaring crowd favourite was the titular ‘All Out Of Love’, by ’80s super duo Air Supply. The tiny tent was practically swaying along with the folks in the crowd, as they belted out the tune along with Quinn and de Grussa.
Aside from the tunes, Quinns camp humour and her banter with de Grassa kept the audience giggling between numbers and the overall vibe of the show was upbeat and fun.
With cleverly nuanced performances of all your favourite cheesy tunes, silly camp humour and a space that invites hearty participation from the crowd, All Out Of Pride: An Evening Of Songs You’re Ashamed To Love is a must-see for any cabaret fan.
‘All Out Of Pride: An Evening of Songs You’re Ashamed to Love’ is at Pleasure Gardens from January 29th – February 1st. Head to www.fringeworld.com.au for tickets
Leigh Hill
