Review: ALFIE BOE– ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL 2026 at Adelaide Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Benjamin Maio Mackay, Sunday 7th June 2026.

Alfie Boe is one of the West End’s most iconic leading men, his career spans opera to numerous solo albums and, of course, most notably many leading turns in Les Miserables. Here in Adelaide, Alfie presents a version of his recent UK tour, Facing Myself. The two hour concert sees Alfie moving through the music that shaped him, from songs his father sang whilst he grew up, to covering musical icons that left lasting impressions on him. The result is a fun and engaging journey crossing genres from opera, to country, to musical theatre, to rock, a lot more musical diversity than I think the audience expected.

The thing that strikes me most about Alfie, aside from his voice, is his utter charm and charisma, he effortlessly engages with the audience, fielding some slightly odd heckles from the audience, with complete ease. He made numerous genuinely funny jokes throughout, poking fun at the audience, himself, and frequent collaborator, Michael Ball. Boe is someone who seems at home on stage, a rare trait and not something I believe you can train into an artist. His onstage comfort puts the audience at ease instantly. Once he walked out on stage, you knew you were in for a good time, guided by a true professional. He did consistently try to get the audience on their feet to dance with him or sing along, which was never going to happen. Aside from Adelaide audiences being notoriously conservative, the Festival Theatre doesn’t have the room for people to get up in their seats, something someone could’ve perhaps mentioned to him in the interval so he didn’t keep trying to make it happen throughout act two.

The stage was entirely stripped back, curtains removed, with a simply lighting design, and road cases making up the set for the evening. It was a nice touch being able to see directly into the wings of the Festival Theatre, which Alfie wanted to highlight to further encapsulate the theme of facing oneself. The band of five musicians was excellent, especially given the range of genres they had to play. The choice to have special guest, Amy Manford, sing All I Ask of You with a backing track, however, was entirely bizarre. Amy joined Alfie for two solos and two duets, Come What May and Falling Slowly. Her voice is one of the most magical I’ve had the privilege of hearing. Their tones blended beautifully and listening to those duets was something truly special. Her brief moments of chatting with the audience, however, felt so much more scripted and unnatural than anything Alfie said over the evening.

The words icon and powerhouse are thrown around haphazardly these days, but Alfie Boe is one person where both words feel truly fitting. His voice is like no other, his presence is unmatched, and it feels like a privilege to be able to watch him on stage. When you hear him sing Bring Him Home live, you understand how he’s become the Valjean of a generation. One could ask the question of how this show is Cabaret in any way, shape, or form, but I’ll put that qualm to one side and just relish the opportunity to see such an excellent concert in Adelaide, as part of one of my favourite festivals.

Reuben Kaye’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival continues over the next two weeks at the Festival Centre, and Alfie Boe continues touring across Australia this week.

Photography, Claudio Raschella.

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