Adelaide Cabaret Fringe ‘Seven Deadly Sings’
27 June 2012

I went and saw this show purely because good friends and fellow arts-nuts were in it, but by the end of it, I felt like I’d made the best show selection of my life. This so-simple-there’s-gotta-be-a-catch show took an over flogged horse theme and pumped life back into it, albeit with sexy dresses and whipped cream!

What really re-vibed the Seven Deadly Sins concept was that no-one though it needed explaining so didn’t waste time doing so, and the song selection was fantastic: different, cheeky, and made good use of the varied and aurally titillating vocal talent offered by Fiona Aitken, Adam Harrison, Alisa James, Emily Morris, Michelle Pearson, Lindsay Prodea and James Reed.

I certainly feel like I need to revise my musical knowledge, because most of the show tunes were new to me, which made the show all the more fun. However, there was a couple sing alongs in there- Divinyls’ I Touch Myself refashioned to the gluttonous I Stuff Myself and the absolutely beautiful and intense closing number Queen’s I Want it All.

Adam Harrison definitely had the Sinatra comedic stylings while the other singers gambled about ensuring comedic chaos for the audience, the most notable numbers being Four Bitchin’ Babes’ There’s Viagra in the Water (smooth by Prodea, brassy by Reed and sinfully delicious by Harrison), Alisa James’ all-too-believable ‘In Short’ from Edges (we can definitely all identify with being too busy for boyfriends in the arts!). Emily Morris showed brilliant vocal technique for My Strongest Suit from Aida.

I don’t know why Pearson is still in Adelaide, though I hope we show her enough gratitude for staying. Her voice is just magic and she has the presence to match. Whenever she wishes to and works for it, that woman is going places. Her vocals on ‘I Want it Now’ gave me chills all over. And when you weren’t being distracted by Reed, Harrison and Prodea in stripper gear, she mastered Etta James’ I Just Want to Make Love to You.

‘Standout Number’ would have to go to James Reed who sang the most intimate song about boybands that I can’t find on google! But it was both hilarious, and touched that place in all of the men in the audience who’d ever dreamed of Five New Kids in the Backstreet Westzone Boylife Justin Bieberlake super stardom. Yes, you all know which place I’m talking about.

But of course, the standout number of the show, Fiona Aitken singing Julie Brown’s The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun, complete with period-style dancing and American accent. She had the entire audience in stitches, the woman is comedy gold! Not only that, but she had this gorgeous raw vocal quality that I thought brought a new flavour to the songs she performed in the show (tipping may hat to her and Pearson’s rendition of The Pussycat Songs). Turns out she just had a really bad throat! So big time ovations for a woman who pulled off the best and most entertaining number whilst sick as a dog. Now that’s show business