Cabaret so cunning, it’s a sin…
The 7 Deadly Sins have often been featured in popular culture as an easy theme to tie a story’s subplots together nicely. In fact, Google ‘7 Deadly Sins’ and you’ll find a bunch of movies that take on the title. Of course they’ve featured in messy movies, too, like in the serial killer flick Se7en.
But to take those sins onto the stage and turn them into quality cabaret would definitely be a challenge. Have that challenge accepted and put into action by Perth drag professional Barbie Q, and you’ve got yourself one awesome and out-there show.
For a couple of years now, Barbie and her cohorts in dance troupe Kinetica have been presented their Sinsuality show at Fringe World, with the theme each year changing slightly courtesy of a subtitle. Last year’s was ‘Noir’, this year’s is ‘4play’.
The best parts of the show are when one style of performance art segues seamlessly into another.
Sticking to sinful and sexual themes Sinsuality: 4play is everything you expect a high-quality Fringe show to be: well-choreographed, excellently soundtracked, just crude enough for laughs, and with malleable mis-en-scene so as to get one act off and the next on in a matter of seconds.
Drag doyenne Barbie Q.
The show kicks off with Barbie dressed in purple paisley, lip-synching effortlessly to the Prince’s double entendre of a hit, Cream. A little chit-chat from the hostess with the mostest about what to expect from the show, followed by some wisecracks about changing sex parts, and the audience is now in the mood for the explicit stuff.
Gluttony, envy, pride, sloth, greed, wrath, and of course lust, are all portrayed through various performance art: burlesque, acrobatics, aerial stunts, dance, strip-tease, even spoken word (well, perfectly lip-synced) drag.
Pole artist Ruby Lai.
The lighting is intelligent enough to match each sin’s theme (lots of red for lust, shades of green for envy), and the music most on-point: a slowed-down rendition of Toxic here; a pumped-up version of Pour Some Sugar On Me there; and, thankfully, Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s Relax in puritan 7″ guise.
The best parts of the show are when one style of performance art segues seamlessly into another, such as when vivacious performer Sugar du Joure lip-synchs some strict headmistress monologue (from the movie Matilda, no less) then cuts to slick striptease and buxom burlesque.
The buxom and brilliant Sugar du Joure.
The Sinsuality cast is rounded out by mostly the same performers we’ve seen before but who deliver great action once again: boylesque dancer Karl Kayoss, feisty pole artist Ruby Lai, and sensational aerial performers Kinetica.
Aerial stunts courtesy of Kinetica’s Matt.
Just the fact these folk have managed to come together for another great gig in an industry otherwise renowned for breakups and conflama, is testament to the troupe’s professionalism and devotion to their art.
See this show before it morphs into another version of itself next time ’round. ★★★★
Antonino Tati
‘Sinsuality: 4play’ is on in the Edith Spiegeltent, Yagan Square, Perth.
For dates, ticket bookings, or the full Fringe World program, visit www.fringeworld.com.au.
CREAM MAGAZINE 
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