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The Brisbane Cabaret Festival 2012

With Brisbane catching up on her beauty sleep after the very successful Brisbane Festival, she’s now ready to don a frock on for the Brisbane Cabaret Festival, opening this week, with over forty venues participating in two weeks of music and frivolity from 25 October till 11 November.

The Manhattan Club in the Valley will be the main home to the Brisbane Festival with late night bands, cabaret, entertainment and surprise guests and a chance to meet with some of the artists after they wind down after their performances.

Now in it’s 11th year, the program welcomes back festival favourite WOMEN IN VOICEwith Lil’Fi, Alison St Ledger, Leah Cotterell, Kacey Patrick and Lauren Lucille.

Headline acts such as Tripod, Geraldine Quinn, The Kransky Sisters (sold out), and Courtney Act will be performing, and of course, what’s a cabaret festival without a bit of burlesque, featuring Red Devotchkin and Rosie Peaches in Red Roses and Babushka Cabaret get dark and delicious in Where the Wild Roses Grow. Geppeto vs Astrid and the Asteroids also go head to head.

There’s cabaret with a showtune flavor in Rebecca Grennan’s Half Full, and contemporary cabaret with Naomi Prices’ Rumour Has It. French poetry and chanson with Projet.Prévert and jazz cabaret with Melissa Western and Hannah Macklin.

The Brisbane Cabaret Festival is now in its 2nd week of festivities. The programme is as follows:

PROGRAMME WEEK 2: 20 Oct – 4 Nov

Geraldine Quinn – You’re the Voice: Songs for the Ordinary Anthemaniac
Geraldine Quinn takes us on a funny and personal exploration of the definition of success in our lives and a celebration (in rock opera style) or the glorious nature of being ordinary.
Dates: 31 October, 1 November
Venue: Stockholm Syndrome | www.stockholmsyndrome.com.au | PH: 3262 3738

Rebecca Grennan in Half Full
Half Full is an eclectic and intimate look at life at its fullest, the ups and downs and struggles and triumphs of a 20-something girl trying to do her best in a world that isn’t.
Dates: 1, 8 November
Venue: The Pink Piano | www.pinkpiano.net | PH: 3832 9473

Lil’Fi & Mandy Nolan – Chocolate and Wine
It’s double trouble when two of the country’s mouthiest mama’s join forces for a cabaret fest of comedy and song. Strap yourselves in for a wild irreverent ride, straight down to hell (with tea and cake of course!).
Dates: 1 November
Venue: The Manhattan Club | www.themanhattanclub.com.au | PH: 3666 0560

The Kransky Sisters
Those delightfully deranged sisters from Esk are serving up homespun renditions of the popular songs including ABBA, Cher, George Michael and Beyonce, with a dash of ACDC and Pink Floyd for good measure.
Dates: Sorry folks, The Kransky Sister are sold out!
Venue: Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts | www.judithwrightcentre.com | PH: 3872 9000

Naomi Price, Rumour Has It:
Sixty Minutes inside Adele
Naomi Price invites us to spend an evening inside Adele:, spilling intimate details about life on the road, love on the rocks and the prick who took a sledge hammer to her heart.
Dates: 2, 3 November
Venue: Stockholm Syndrome | www.stockholmsyndrome.com.au | PH: 3262 3738

Babushka Cabaret – Where The Wild Roses Grow.
Echoing through the corridors of a desolate warehouse, the femme fatales of Babushka lure you into a world of murderous passion in the debut cabaret show Where The Wild Roses Grow.
Dates: 2 November
Venue: Studio 37 at SYC Studios | www.sycstudios.com | PH: 0401 313 974

The Emporium — Free Events
Every Friday night during the festival, visit the Emporium Cocktail Bar and listen to laid back jazz and cabaret over a cocktail or two.
Dates: 2, 9 November
Venue: The Emporium | www.emporiumhotel.com.au | PH: 3253 6999

Lauren Lucille
Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Lauren Lucille is a fresh talent in the field of jazz music. Her original works are a unique fusion of jazz and pop, but also cover genres as diverse as folk, soul and classical music. This is a free event.
Dates: 2 November
Venue: The Manhattan Club | www.themanhattanclub.com.au | PH: 3666 0560

Courtney Act
They say the nine tenths of a woman’s charm is illusion. Courtney Act is living proof.
Courtney Act is a megastar who gives some of today’s pop-tart divas a serious run for their money.
Dates: 3 November
Venue: Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts | www.judithwrightcentre.com | PH: 3872 9000

Megan Shorey in Undies
Award-winning songwriter, playwright and performer Megan Shorey believes we can chart the ups and downs of our lives through the evolution of our Undies. From Spiderman to Calvin Klein; pink thong to Cottontails, the stories are often sad, but oh-so true!
Dates: 3 November
Venue: Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts | www.judithwrightcentre.com | PH: 3872 9000

Red Devotchkin and Rosie Peaches in Red Roses (Burlesque review)
Red Roses is burlesque set to garage blues and vintage soul. Featuring burlesque artists including Lila Luxx, Coppelia Jane, Wayne Jennings and Les Actes Terribles.
Dates: 3 November
Venue: The Hideaway | www.thehideaway.info | PH: 3162 2782

Russell Fletcher in Jest Like Danny Kaye
During the 1040s and 50s, Danny Kaye was considered the greatest entertainer in the world. World Comedy Improvisation Champion, Russell Fletcher showcases some of Kaye’s best songs and routines.
Dates: 3, 4 November
Venue: StageDoor Dinner Theatre |www.stagedoordinnertheatre.com.au | PH: 3216 1115

PROGRAMME WEEK 3: 5 Nov – 11 Nov

Broadway Unplugged
Providing a platform for performers to do what they do best in a supportive environment, Broadway Unplugged returns on 5 November for the Finals for a brand new lineup of musical theatre stars. This is a free event.
Dates: 5 November
Venue: Stockholm Syndrome | www.stockholmsyndrome.com.au | PH: 3262 3738

Jenny Wynter – An Unexpected Variety Show
Award winning cabaret artist, Jenny Wynter melds stand-0up, storytelling, song and improve to create a unique show about the unexpected twists in life.
Dates: 7 November
Venue: Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts | www.judithwrightcentre.com | PH: 3872 9000

Women In Voice
Returning to the stage is Women in Voice, showcasing some of Queensland’s most versatile performers featuring Alison St Ledger, Lil’ Fi, Kacey Patrick, Leah Cotterell and Lauren Lucille.
Dates: 8–10 November
Venue: The Old Museum Brisbane | www.oldmuseum.org | PH: 32574089

Dusty Limits in POST– MOTEM
International cabaret artist Dusty Limits returns to Brisbane for one night only to perform his acclaimed Edinburgh show POST-MORTEM, a ‘musical obituary’ charting a life lived badly, and featuring dark, witty songs and twisted covers.
Dates: 8 November
Venue: Stockholm Syndrome | www.stockholmsyndrome.com.au PH: 3262 3738

Memoirs of a Showgirl with Shay Stafford
After sell-out shows at the beginning of the year, Shay Stafford returns to Stockholm syndrome, sharing her memoirs as a little girl who pirouetted and high-kicked her way from Brisbane to Paris’s Moulin Rouge and Lido.
Dates: 9, 10 November
Venue: Stockholm Syndrome | www.stockholmsyndrome.com.au | PH: 3262 3738

Cienda McNamara in Nobody Does It Like Me
Continuing the Australian leg of her International book tour, this musical delight takes us inside the skeleton-filled closet of Cienda McNamara’s superbly ‘paparazzied’ existence.
Dates: 9, 10 November
Venue: StageDoor Dinner Theatre | www.stagedoordinnertheatre.com.au | PH: 3216 1115

Ruth Roshan & Tango Noir
With their CD Launch on the 10 November, Tango Noirtake you on a musical journey into the thrilling world of tango, bringing with them the atmosphere of a 1039’s French salon.
Dates: 10 November
Venue: The Old Museum Brisbane | www.oldmuseum.org | PH: 32574089

Ingrid James
A singer with a voice that’s been described as chocolate: rich, dark and smooth. Ingrid is one of Queensland’s leading Jazz Vocalists appearing regularly in Jazz festivals throughout the country.
Dates: 10 November
Venue: The Manhattan Club | www.themanhattanclub.com.au | PH: 3666 0560

Bobbi-Lea Dionysius

Bobbi-Lea is AussieTheatre.com's QLD Co-ordinator, writer, reviewer, and reporter. She is also an actor, presenter, and theatre/film producer for Drama Queen Productions in Brisbane. Bobbi-Lea holds a Degree in Music Theatre as well as a Degree in Film & TV, and is currently doing her Masters in Screen Production.