Cathrine Summers delivers sass, spunk and singing talent in spades
I’m a massive Bowie and Beatles fan. And I think Elton John is as charismatic as the biopic Rocketman portrays him. Which is why I was a bit tentative to see one woman channel these big three icons in a two-and-a-half-hour set at Perth’s Fringe World this week.
But British ex-pat Cathrine Summers whisked those worries aside for me, delivering a frigging brilliant set, albeit with the help of four trusty musos.
Cathrine Summers is spirited host, classy comedienne and singing talent to boot, all in one confident and spunky package.
Not only can Summers emulate the low notes of Bowie, Lennon, McCartney and John, she actually hits the high notes better in some cases (for example, in covering Elton’s Bennie And The Jets, Cathrine gets really high in the chorus the way Elton used to – alas, he can’t now since having had a particular throat operation).
The 150-minute long set includes most of the bigger hits from each of the three artists – too many songs to list here but let’s just say it’s one hell of a magical history tour. There are also a couple of medleys that defy the usual ‘naffness’ of the very word ‘medley’. The way Cathrine and her band segue snippets of songs is far classier than any ‘Stars on 45’-type mash.
Summers is not only an excellent singer, she peppers her set with tidbits of information about each artist. Sure, a lot of the info is whipped out of Wikipedia – as Cathrine herself will admit – but at least it makes for some fab trivial info we might otherwise not pursue ourselves.
Cathrine Summers is spirited host, classy comedienne and singing talent to boot, all in one confident and spunky package. A proud export of Essex, England, she brings sass, style and talent to the stage like no singer I’ve seen this Fringe season.
Catch her performance before the sun sets, on select nights at stylish Lamont’s Bishops House in Perth. ★★★★★
Antonino Tati
‘Cathrine Summers: Elton, Bowie, Beatles’ is on January 29, February 5, and February 12 from 6.30pm each night.
For the full Fringe World program and to purchase tickets, visit www.fringeworld.com.au.
CREAM MAGAZINE 
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