Image: www.fringeworld.com.au
A sustained blast of vocal power, notes held confidently, Mannish’s deft keyboard accompaniment as Frisky walks down the centre of the tent to the stage, carelessly holding everyone’s attention with her easy grace as she moves, singing… and it’s the start of another FringeWorld adventure in popular music, with dapper guides Frisky and Mannish.
After taking themselves to the brink of collapsing under their own celebrity in last year’s offering, #JUSTTOOMUCH, the British duo have returned to their core values and have developed scathing social critiques for this year’s CabaRIOT. Frisky and Mannish encourage the audience to RIOT, to kick against the things that are making them angry, but elicit nothing more rabble rousing from the crowd than a plaint against ‘not enough parking’. Not deterred, the pair kick on with a show that covers marriage equality, inclusion, immigration detention policies, monarchy, feminism, the stigma of imposed labels and stereotypes, and guests who take aim at blasphemy and body image expectations. Substantial fare, presented via the medium of the hit parade and precise, calibrated harmonies sending up artists, genres, issues and the audience in fairly shared measure.
Frisky and Mannish excel at twisting pop music expectations in an exquisite manner, and the opening mash up of Tears for Fears’ ‘Shout’ and Michael Nyman’s instrumental score from The Piano is a surreally beautiful musical treat. A song about joining the ultimate inclusive club is delivered with Noël Coward-esque panache and precision and the closing parody of ‘We are the World’ nails the gulf maintained between celebrities and their fans. Away from the music, a stunt leaving two of the audience homeless and seeking refuge leads to Frisky asking some questions that cut a little close to the bone for many… before the music starts up again to cover the awkward silence.
Audiences lucky enough to have seen previous shows may recognise some of the material, but these pieces have been reworked and fit better in this show than previously. The feedback to critics, naysayers and over-enthusiastic reviewers in ‘That’s not my name’ has a coda touching on broader social considerations that tempers an otherwise self-indulgent, self-referential celebration of ego. Similarly, their search for a feminist anthem has a greater sting in its company here than on its previous outing, and Frisky’s enjoyable delivery of each of the offerings and Mannish’s self-assured mocking rebuttals are delightful.
In Fringe tradition, fellow artists are invited to the stage to present their own takes on the topic of rebellion. While the Lords of Strut, prepared with unique underwear garments made from cling film and bearing pool noodles and bread, seize the opportunity to start an actual riot, with audience members storming the stage and slices of bread flying around the seats, Aurora Galore’s fire dance to a lyrically strong rebuttal to the demands of the catwalk and body image captures the concept of protest against conventions.
Assured immersion in the world of pop combines with strong musical abilities and on point awareness of social issues to create a fantastic confection of Frisky and Mannishness that rewards both long-term fans and new audiences alike.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
CabaRIOT
Presented by Sharon Burgess Productions
The West Australian Spiegeltent, The Pleasure Garden, Northbridge
2-9 February 2016
Part of FringeWorld 2016
