Hosted by Catherine Alcorn featuring Verushka Darling and iOTA. The Emerald Room. 19-21 Sep, 2024.
What’s long, phallic & salty, yet somehow still a “comfort food”? Bangers & Mash. And the variety show at The Emerald Room is living up to its name by mashing up tunes in a blend of cabaret, performance art, drag, comedy and therapy… unaccredited, please-don’t-sue therapy.
Musical diva Catherine Alcorn is centre stage, working the Emerald Room and being a terror to all the men named David and Jack in the audience (if you were there you know what I mean). With her big voice she’s mashing-up tunes from Dolly Parton & Miley Cyrus to Nirvana and singing the hell out of Beyonce’s ‘Love on Top’ – every ****ing key-change (it’s worth the price of admission alone)!
Joining her for this spicy evening of madness is Sydney drag legend, Verushka Darling , doling out sex advice and art history as she goes. And iOTA brings the devilish rock to the room. It’s an eclectic mix of talents that orbit each other and exert a pull of creative friction between them, backed by the terrific four-piece band of Oliver Stanton, Ned Koncar, Amanda Jenkins and Jack Powell. When they hit the stage together, sparks fly.
Sydney’s had no shortage of cabaret this year from some brilliant musical theatre (like Sunday Service), to the circus infused Smashed but Bangers & Mash is working the variety show format to keep things varied. It’s got an experimental edge that gives it an extra electric thrill. And on a side note, if any producers are thinking of bringing the current West End / Broadway production of Cabaret to Australia, iOTA would be the perfect Emcee.
Bangers & Mash is a bag of mixed sweets that keeps you on your toes between the familiar tunes that get the whole room singing along and the totally unexpected laughs. Catherine Alcorn is serving sass on a side plate to the main course of music & laughter. The fact you can have a proper meal and a great cocktail at The Emerald Room is just icing on the cake.
But be quick, you’ve only got till Saturday to catch it!
Cultural Binge 
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