Bad Hand (Sydney Festival) ★★★½

Conceived by Natalie Abbott. Wharf 1 Theatre. Sydney Festival. Jan 15 & 17, 2026.

You know Natalie Abbott from stage musicals like Muriel’s Wedding the Musical and The Lovers, but Bad Hand is something different. In her first solo cabaret, Abbott digs deep into her own experience of grief and life’s unpredictability, set against a soundtrack of Aussie pop classics, musical theatre stalwarts and some original work. Oh, and it’s funny.

Sometimes bad things happen in life. You get dealt a “bad hand” (don’t worry — this is not a whole cabaret about card games). How do you recover and keep moving on? This show charts how events changed her and where she goes from here.

The music mix is eclectic but centred on melodic pop, ranging from big ballads like Tina Arena’s 1997 power ballad ‘Burn’, to the ’80s Hunters & Collectors anthem ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’, and one of the few up-tempo Sara Bareilles tracks, 2007’s ‘Many the Miles’. Also in the mix is a fun/grim hit of Kasey Chambers, some reworked musical theatre (nothing you’ll be expecting), and even a mash-up of The Beatles and Sondheim — which, in fairness, is not completely successful, but narratively nails the headspace of someone dealing with intense loss.

Abbott’s voice is, without doubt, in great shape. The song choices allow her to unleash a strong belt and crystal-like clarity of tone that’s refreshing to hear, unencumbered by the trappings of a fully fledged show. Those nervous about freewheeling, chaotic cabarets can rest assured: Abbott isn’t climbing over tables to interact with the crowd other than a little banter with the front row. Now into its second run (after premiering at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2025), the show’s rhythms are clearly working, though it still feels like there’s room to tighten and elevate things structurally.

For a show about grief and nihilism, Bad Hand is surprisingly fun and often light-hearted, carried by Abbott’s natural warmth as a performer. She’s generous with the audience and, in return, receives a generous response. Abbott has taken life’s lemons and made some fine lemonade.