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Feast Festival Review: Candice McQueen: Nasty

London cabaret star Spanky’s alter-ego is the immortal demi-goddess and “Mr Sister” Candice McQueen, who must journey to the underworld to save River Phoenix and herself.

Feast-CandiceNastyPresented by the Feast Festival
Reviewed 22 November 2014

Candice has partied around the world for thousands of years but, after falling in love with fallen ‘90s screen idol River Phoenix, she must journey to the underworld to save both their lives.

This bizarre comedy show by London cabaret star Spanky is definitely unusual and, at times, very distasteful. It follows the beginnings of his alter-ego, the immortal demi-goddess and “Mr Sister” Candice McQueen from a Lion King-style birth in the Congo through to witnessing the crucifixion of Christ and then to meeting River Phoenix just before his untimely death at the Viper Room. The strange storyline made this performance difficult to follow.

Perhaps the whole show was based around someone’s late night intoxicated idea that changing the lyrics of the legendary anthem American Pie to ‘bye bye vegetarian guy’ was a great premise for a show. If you are the type of person who thinks that joke is funny then you might just enjoy Candice McQueen: Nasty. Comedy is one of those things that people will always disagree on. Some audience laughed raucously during this performance while others closed their eyes and napped or fiddled with their phones.

A very positive addition to this production was live music and Spanky was joined on stage for the entire performance by singer and guitarist Oscar Sharah. Spanky may well be the headline but the highlight of this cabaret is the beautiful smooth vocals of Sharah.

It cannot be denied that Spanky has great comic timing and demonstrated a good voice while half-talking and half-singing through a variety of 90s hits, but his obvious penchant for the bizarre is not going to be to everyone’s liking.

Reviewed by Ceri Horner
Twitter: @CeriHorner

Venue: Nexus Cabaret, Lion Arts Centre, Adelaide
Season: Until 29 November 2014
Duration: 70 mins
Tickets: $25.00 – $30.00
Bookings: Book online through the Feast Festival website, or tickets at the door if not sold out.

The Feast Festival runs from 15 – 30 November 2014.

Photo by Rochelle Seator

 

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