Presented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 22 June 2018
Strap yourself in for one of the most bizarre and unusual rides of 2018’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival as Queen Kong takes her audience on an unforgettable journey through time and space.
The show is part of a new epic rock cabaret/space fiction trilogy known as The Legend of Queen Kong. This trilogy tells the unusual story of Queen Kong – a being who is part rock, part ape and part immortal, mythological being and who travels through the multiple universes on a journey to discover what it means to be human.
In Episode II In Outer Space, our hero Queen Kong has been imprisoned by humans who fear her large size and she has to call on a passing meteorite for help (yes the rest of the show is just as unusual). After breaking free she embarks on a journey of transmutations that results in her meeting a bi-curious multiplicitous singularity and from here s**t continues to get weirder.
As I’m sure you can tell by now this is a show that requires a truly open mind. If attempted it will reward you with catchy tunes, a remarkably talented band and a lead performer (the delicious cabaret diva, Sarah Ward) who wholeheartedly embraces their out-of-this-world character. Its comical elements are actually very similar to those of the Mighty Boosh with bizarre animations, amusing videos of the band and lead singer accompanying the performances and ridiculous song lyrics (“I’m a melange, I’m a lemon sponge”) providing much of the shows humour.
Queen Kong looks as outrageous as you would expect with voluminous white hair, dangerously high, platform sneakers, a glittery, nude bodysuit and even a perfectly positioned piece of white pubic fluff to finish off the look.
Supporting all-woman band, the aptly named HOMOSapiens, are incredibly talented and at times steal the spotlight from Queen Kong herself (which is not an easy thing to do). Lead guitarist, Gen Bernstein, is especially impressive while making insane guitar solos look like the easiest everyday activity.
This show may be a bit too bizarre for some at the Cabaret Festival, but for those willing to step out of their comfort zone and into a whole other galaxy, The Legend of Queen Kong is just the show.
Reviewed by Georgina Smerd
Twitter: @Georgie_xox
Rating: 4/5
Season ended
https://www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au/
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