Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett | Ice Cream Factory | til 16 Feb | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
International cabaret superstar Bernie Dieter is the name on everybody’s lips for good reason. The midnight maven’s Club Kabarett has returned to Perth with a collection of incredibly talented artists, bringing the debaucherous energy of the Weimar cabaret to the Ice Cream Factory.
The indoor area of the Factory has been transformed into an intimate space, lined with candlelit tables and ringside seats so close you’re guaranteed to see more than you bargained for during some of these acts. The space cultivates a sense of closeness, that Bernie encourages the audience to tap into for this moment of connection.
Club Kabarett brings its own unique flavour to that Fringe style of cabaret, with Bernie and her band providing a live soundtrack to each of the acts. Her soaring vocals bring each act to another level, and she takes her moments to shine on her own in the spotlight.
A standout moment of the show was Bernie’s unexpected, transcendent cover of Martha Wainwright’s Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole, sung in defiance over the sound of Nick Fuentes’ vile, viral comments on women’s bodies that don’t bear repeating here.
Bernie has also outdone herself in curating the best talent the globe has to offer. Club Kabarett has done an outstanding job of bringing acts that you just won’t see anywhere else at Fringe.
Hand-balancing wonder Danik Abishev opens the show with a cheeky, death-defying performance, and fire-breathing sensation Jacqueline Furey wowed with her flaming talent.
Avant-garde drag artist Rosebud surprised everyone with just how far they would go, and contortionist Soliana Ersie shocked with the mind-bending ways she could move her body. The grand finale was an absolute showstopper. The Suspension Sisters performed an aerial act that surely makes for the entire value of your ticket, and then some.
Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett is once again a must-see this Fringe World season.
Club Kabarett runs until Sunday, 16 February. Head to fringeworld.com.au for more.
