Review: ENGORGED – ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL 2023 at Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Friday 16th June 2023.

The globe-trotting, multi-award-winning, cabaret icon, Reuben Kaye, is back in Australia, with the world premiere of enGORGEd, accompanied by his musical director and arranger, Shannon D. Whitelock, and an 18-piece orchestra. As always, no matter how prepared you might think you are for one of his shows, you quickly realise that you really weren’t even slightly prepared at all. In a world that is increasingly politically correct, and full of ‘snowflakes’ who are constantly offended by anything and everything, Reuben Kaye is the antidote we need.

The beat of a gong signalled the start of the performance, a beat set up on the drums, the piano began, and the rest of the orchestra joined in with Amanda Lear’s I Am a Photograph. The voice of Reuben Kaye, syrupy smooth, and seductive, came from the darkness, the lights came up on him at the side of the stage, and he slowly moved to centre as he sang. This was all accompanied by clapping, small shrieks of delight, and general excitement. It was no holds barred, and anything goes, for the next hour or so. It was followed, of course, by massive applause, cheering, and whistling.

Dressed in a black outfit with a large red panel across his chest, sporting an impeccable coiffure, and wearing dangerously high heels, to say that he was stunning would be an understatement, but wait, there’s more to come.

Never arrive late to a Reuben Kaye event. One couple, seated at the front, found out why. When you are told to turn off your phones at the start of a show, do it. Another poor unfortunate soul discovered that there are consequences when your phone rings, interrupting a Reuben Kaye performance. The rest of the audience, of course, loved every second of the exquisite humiliation of those transgressors. I am confident that they’ll never, ever do that again.

His wit and satire were in full form as he covered a wide range of topics, from drag queens, to children, to priests, linking them hilariously. The laughter became louder and longer as the performance progressed, and some more members of the audience were subjected to his wicked sense of humour. The British Tory government was lampooned, and football was another target.

Aerosmith’s Dude (Looks Like a Lady) was interrupted with some more fun with a couple of members of the audience, before moving on to Whitney Houston’s Queen of the Night. The orchestra took over while he slipped offstage for a costume change, returning in an impressive high-waisted, floor-length dress, and this heralded a change of pace musically, giving a chance for him to really show off is wonderful voice, with a remarkable arrangement by Shannon D. Whitelock of When I Fall in Love.

A very funny recounting of his time in primary school, and finding a friend, ended with an unexpectedly sad twist, but he lifted the mood again immediately, moving on to talking of his grandmother, and of an aunt. You had to be there. A poke at our politicians went down well with the audience, leading into another superb Whitelock arrangement on If I Ruled the World , which was followed by an extra long burst of applause.

Sending up his own merchandise brought yet more laughs, and he announced that he is taking his recent Fringe show to Montreal. They won’t know what hit them. Yet another great arrangement, on Carole King’s Will You Love Me Tomorrow, closed the performance.

The queue at the merchandise counter for photographs with him after the show went right along the foyer.

Don’t miss a chance to see Reuben Kaye any time that he is performing in Adelaide. You’ll be glad that you did.

Photography, Claudio Raschella.

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