Written by Reuben Kaye. Original work commissioned by Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Sydney Opera House. Sydney Festival. 16 Jan, 2026.
For one night only (why, Sydney Festival, why only one night?), Reuben Kaye took over the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House with a suitably large and loud show. Reuben Kaye’s signature sexually charged comedy was well and truly enGORGEd.
Backed by an eminently patient 18-piece orchestra, Kaye lets rip — musically, comedically, politically and sartorially — with stories of his time touring with Jesus Christ Superstar, his brush with internet death threats, plus his usual acid wit and sensual shenanigans. Is he bawdy? Yes. Is he rude? Often. Is it rougher than your average drag brunch? No, not really. Or if it is, you’re going to the wrong drag brunch.
No stranger to the Opera House (thanks to the annual Opera Up Late), enGORGEd does feel like an evolution for the cabaret artist. The added veneer of prestige plays well against his brash sexcapades, matching flawless make-up with a dirty mouth.
It’s a shame, then, that muddy sound lessened the impact of the music, with Kaye’s vocals getting slightly lost against the otherwise beautiful sound of the orchestra.
Despite his talents as a singer, the music is never the draw of a Reuben Kaye show. Kaye’s strength is his quick wit and ability to play with the audience, and that was on full display as he organically riffed off the crowd. In a night of well-polished comedy (the show has been touring the country before its one-night stand in Sydney), these moments kept things fresh and unpredictable.
At a time when drag has been reduced to cheap clowns who occasionally death drop to entertain straight crowds, Reuben Kaye still brings the bite. Satirising queer culture, politics and celebrity, Kaye’s uncontrollable verve never loses its subversive edge, no matter how big or storied the venue.
Mixed with emotional storytelling, it all bodes well for his new job as Artistic Director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
Cultural Binge 
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