Review: ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL 2016: CLASS OF CABARET Presents Up and Coming Performers

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Saturday 25th June 2016

The Class of Cabaret is conducted each year with a selection of students from many South Australian high schools. Their ages are from sixteen upwards and this year there were nineteen students appearing, ten in the 1pm performance and the other nine in the 4pm performance.

The first group were accompanied by Carol Young and the second group by Logan Watt. Both groups were directed by David Lampard and their courses were under the guidance of the lead vocal coach, Charmaine Jones. The credentials of these people are most impressive, with a vast amount of shared knowledge and experience between them. The students were fortunate to have such a strong team assisting them.

As if that was not already good enough, they were also coached by two top international Australian cabaret performers, Michael Griffiths and Amelia Ryan, who both have impressive professional careers in the industry and are performing at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival this year. That sort of training, by people who are already at that high level, is invaluable.

Represented this year were Blackwood High School, Brighton Secondary School, Cedar College, Charles Campbell College, Concordia College, Hallett Cove School, Henley High School, Immanuel College, Loreto College, Pembroke School, St. Peter's Girls' School, Scotch College, Thebarton Senior College, Trinity College Senior, Underdale High School, Urrbrae Agricultural High School, and the Barbara Jayne Dance School.

The students bring their personal experiences and tales to their performances, following their introductions with songs appropriate to their stories, and so the range of material presented over the two performances is diverse. Sometimes, the presentations are humorous, sometimes serious, and occasionally tinged with sadness. These students do not hold back, because that is not the cabaret way. Cabaret encourages revelations that then engage the audience, and we were all fully engaged throughout both of these excellent performances.

To review each performance individually would take far too long to write, and for you to read, unfortunately, much as I would wish to, and to single out some and not mention others would be equally unreasonable. Suffice to say that the individual performances ranged from good to excellent, and you should be sure to book for the Class of Cabaret performances in future years.

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