Review: ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL 2016: THE LAST GALAH Was A Great Way To Finish

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Saturday 25th June, 2016

Artistic Directors, Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect, were the presenters of The Last Galah, a closing performance based on Australian music and featuring a number of the stars of this years Adelaide Cabaret Festival. The evening was directed by the hard-working Andy Packer, who is involved with numerous aspects of the Festival every year, and the musical direction was by Vanessa Scammell, who comes to Adelaide each year to conduct the various orchestras for major events.

The performance opened with Moira Finucane and the cast of The Birds, with Ali McGregor adding her voice to Can't Get You Out Of My Head, dressed in the colours of a galah. This was followed by the sight of Eddie Perfect resplendent in white tails, over work boots, 'stubbie' shorts, and a blue singlet, once the 'uniform' of the Aussie working man.

Behind them was a small but marvellous orchestra, comically referred to as The Budgie Smugglers, conducted by Scammell, and a set invoking the Australian back yard, the galvanised iron fence and the branches of tall gum trees hanging down from somewhere above. The stereotypical visuals, the clichés, let us know that this was to be a fun evening, with tongues firmly in cheeks and, for much of the time, it was.

There were, however, some serious songs and poignant moments, too. Libby O'Donovan, in particular, told of entertaining people with dementia, and how music can stir what were thought to be lost memories, in her very moving song, Songs Remember Me.

A very welcome announcement was that Tim Miochin's musical, Matilda, will be part of next year's Festival, and then James Millar, who plays Miss Trunchbull, made a surprise appearance to sing one of the songs from the show, When I Grow Up.

Naomi Price gave a fine rendition of John Farnham's Burn For You and Carla Lippis gave us Under the Milky Way by The Church, with backing from the Class of Cabaret Graduates: Naomi Crosby, Benji Riggs, Mellie Tantalos, Harry Nguyen, and Jemma Allen

Ali McGregor informed us that the best and worst ever cover songs were Leonard Cohen's Halleluja, as performed by Jeff Buckley and, at the bottom end of the scale, the Celine Dion and Anastacia duet on AC DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. This gave her the chance to caricature both of those singers in an hilarious parody.

Not every song was Australian with Tom Burlinson singing Bad Habits, and Yana Alana dipping into Puccini's Madama Butterfly to sing One Fine Day., suddenly switching to Russell Morris's The Real Thing.

Dash Kruck brought laughter to a head with his reworded Love is in the Air as the Election's in the Air, a reminder that we go to vote in the federal elections on 2nd July. Composer and singer, Casey Bennetto, sang one of his own songs, Show, Don't Tell, and, not to miss out, Eddie Perfect sang another of Bennetto's very popular comical numbers, The Big Banana.

Paul Grabowsky and Kate Ceberano joined forces for a rendition of I Touch Myself by the Divinyls, and Debora Krizak borrowed from Olivia Newton John to sing I Honestly Love You. Another highlight was when Sven Ratzke and Ali McGregor sang a duet, brilliantly juxtaposing David Bowie's Let's Dance with Yothu Yindi's Treaty.

Everybody took to the stage for the rousing finale, including the stage crew, for a rendition of Paul Kelly's From Little Things Big Things Grow, with each person singing a line or two then passing the song on to the next person. The Adelaide Cabaret Festival was over, all except for the post performance partying in the Piano Bar until the early hours with Trevor Jones holding sway.

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