Witness your favourite pop culture TV and movie icons be brought to life on stage in Pop Culture Cabaret: a variety cabaret show consisting of burlesque, circus and aerial acts themed around famous pop culture characters!
Brought to you by Agent Pickle Productions, Pop Culture Cabaret is hosted by charismatic co-producer Lucas Andrews, who also juggles cameo guest appearances as he performs in all three shows of the production’s run during this year’s Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival.
Whether you see him as Austin Powers stripping off a crushed blue velvet suit and cravat, or witness his darker alter ego be unleashed as The Joker, Lucas Andrews puts his all into each role he undertakes to deliver a showstopping performance time and again.
Exclusively performing on opening night is Portia Sweet, who brings their unique, eccentric act all the way from Perth in Western Australia. To the dark funky tune of Walk The Night by Skatt Bros, Portia Sweet looks like a hauntingly sexy evil doll with every robotic movement and ragdoll-like gesture. The kind of creepy that no one can keep their eyes off her, Portia Sweet resembles a Monster High doll in a black and purple costume that reveals a striped bodysuit underneath.
Performing in shows one and two is Quintessa, who combines cabaret, circus and aerial to create a Top Gun themed act to a remix of Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins. Making one hell of an entrance as she dons a sexified pilot’s uniform and aviators, Quintessa hypnotises audiences as she masters the aerial lyra hoop all whilst having a fire palm in her hot little hands.
Appearing in a once-off act on night one is Australian disabled performance artist Santosha Storm, who packs a punch in a sassy, attitude-filled routine to Die Another Day by pop icon herself Madonna. Whipping around her long bubble braid ponytail and rocking combat boots, fishnets and a black leather studded strappy lingerie set, Santosha Storm kicks ass with an enigmatic chair routine that may involve some audience participation.
No cabaret variety show is complete without some male entertainers and boy does Pop Culture Cabaret sure deliver with two male performers heating things up on opening night and the season’s finale. Up first is Sammy Jackson, who tears off a camoflage uniform revealing rippling abs to the old school rock’n’roll anthem Voodoo Child (Slight Return) by Jimi Hendrix. On the final night, Taylor Mac embraces a bit of method acting as he takes on the role of 007 himself, Mr James Bond, as he fights off co-star Lucas Andrews in a battle scene before tearing off his tuxedo. Both acts involve audience participation as they each pour candle wax all over their chests and invite a lucky few on stage to get up close and personal.
Absolutely killing it on opening night is Six Inch Minx, who “slays” as a sexy Jason Voorhees from hit horror movie franchise Friday The 13th. From a rhinestone encrusted hockey mask and machete, to a bedazzled hockey jersey and thigh high red latex heeled boots, Six Inch Minx’s aerial chain act to Internet Friends by Knife Party is a vision to behold as strobe lighting illuminates every sequin, diamante and glitter particle on their detailed costume.
Making guest appearances on nights one and three is baby burlesque performer Ivy Cyanide, who holds her own as she executes uniquely original acts featuring larger than life characters. In her first show, we’re introduced to Ivy as a cute zoologist before she unleashes her inner beast and transforms into a sexy wild animal in leopard print to Guns N’ Roses’ rock anthem Welcome to the Jungle. However, it’s a duo act where she plays Gaston alongside Blondie Sprinkles as clumsy sidekick LeFou from the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast that is the ultimate highlight. Their costumes, which are surprisingly accurate to the Disney cartoon, are each slowly stripped in a beautifully camp display where Gaston flashes a comically large tuft of fake chest hair and LeFou is pantsed to reveal underwear that read “I heart Gaston”.
Starring in all three shows is the delightful Daphne Delphine, who takes on three vastly different pop culture icons with effortless ease. Act one sees her portray a sultry, seductive Catwoman as she slinks atop an aerial lyra with feline prowess whilst stunning in a full body black latex catsuit. A far departure from a villainous femme fatale, her next character to conquer is Elle Woods from early 2000s chick flick Legally Blonde, whom she embodies perfectly with her long blonde locks and all pink ensemble. And for the grand finale, Daphne teams up with new fiance and co-producer Lucas Andrews as devilish duo Harley Quinn and The Joker to close out the season with a wickedly good climax of a show.
Straying away from the common villainous theme is Lucy Ostara, who brings a spoonful of sugar, spice and all things nice to her portrayal of Mary Poppins to the song A Cover Is Not the Book from the soundtrack of the movie’s latest adaptation. Arriving underneath a big umbrella, Lucy Ostara puts a twist on the art of the tease by adding to her outfit rather than subtracting from it. With items from her bottomless magic carpet bag, piece by piece she dresses herself in a rainbow sequinned set complete with colourful headpiece and tailfeather.
There’s a reason why so many of us fall in love with the villain over the hero, and Dorian Courtisan reminds us of this as we are shown the sexy side of Freddy Krueger: antagonist of the hit 80s horror film franchise A Nightmare on Elm Street. Wearing the villain’s signature claw-like glove, Dorian Courtisan slinks across stage in Freddy’s trademark red and black striped sweater with bonus matching stockings to the sultry sounds of I Touch Myself by The Divinyls.
Covering what may be the movie franchise that raised the millennial generation, up-and-coming performer on the rise Phoebe Ophidia does a downright wicked interpretation of Hermione Granger gone rogue. Dressed in full wizard’s robes and a risque Hogwarts uniform, Phoebe concocts a blue bubbling potion in a cauldron before stripping down to a firetruck red lingerie for a theatrical fire manipulation act as Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship pumps in the background – which is only fitting as this straight A-grade student is begging for extra credit.
No tribute to pop culture is complete without a Star Wars reference, which comes in the form of Brandy Snap as the film franchise’s beloved heroine Princess Leia Organa. Arriving draped in a white hooded cloak and rocking those signature space buns, Brandy Snap is an absolute badass in fishnets and combat boots as she flaunts an impressive lightsaber wielding number accompanied with strobe lighting.
Jungle fever sweeps across the stage as Miss Tickle Allure brings her tropicana-themed showgirl act to the concrete jungle that is Adelaide. Looking straight out of The Jungle Book, this mischievous Miss shimmies and shimmers in a rhinestone encrusted leopard print corset and long gloves, resembling an exotic bird in a feathered headdress and tailfeathers.
Making her first-time debut is another burlesque baby: Miss Fortune. Elegantly wrapped in a black sequinned number, this curvaceous queen may be fresh on the scene but carries herself with self-assured confidence and sophisticated elegance. To the tune of Sparkling Diamonds from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, Miss Fortune nails her classic-inspired routine and receives a well-deserved resounding round of applause.
Here to bust ghosts and bust a move is Misty Rising, whose short and sexy Ghostbusters uniform comes complete with a fully functional ectoplasmic residue harvester. Yes you heard that right, it’s fully functional – one lucky audience member has the pleasure of pulling the trigger to pump neon green silly string from its nozzle. Mounting a neon green chair, Misty Rising puts on a raunchy strip tease to the iconic Ghostbusters theme song.
Looking as flamboyant as ever in a beautiful burgundy robe with feathered trim is Ember Rose, who tantalises audiences with some traditional tease choreo to Queen Latifah’s gutsy vocals in Big, Blonde and Beautiful from the soundtrack of movie-musical Hairspray. A song with such a name seems only fitting for Ember Rose, who is the embodiment of a blonde bombshell as she flaunts her curves and struts her stuff on stage.
Shaking things up with a high-flying aerial act is Sarah Zaglia, who defies gravity with her lyra hoop routine whilst dressed as Cruella de Vill from Disney’s classic cartoon One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Flexible, nimble and beautifully bendy, Sarah Zaglia seems to be most at home when she’s hanging upside down and high up in the air.
Pull the lever, Kronk! An outstanding highlight of a performance comes from Starling Strix, who looks ravishing in purple and pulls off the perfect Yzma from Disney’s Emperor’s New Groove franchise. From the intricate headpiece and feathered collar, to the black slinky gown and purple fringed lingerie set that lies underneath, the attention to detail in costume design is truly astounding and to be admired.
Bringing a slice of drag to the party is Dylan XXXTC, who portrays the perfect blonde bimbo as Shelley from The House Bunny. Donning a pair of bunny ears and a bright neon pink get-up, this Latina drag diva delivers perfectly lip synced dialogue to Shelley’s greatest ditsy quotes from the movie before hitting the dancefloor to nail the cleanest and smoothest death drop I’ve ever seen.
Latest Miss Vintage Australasia herself Lu Lu Belle treats audiences to another Top Gun inspired performance. Dressed head to toe in the most drop dead gorgeous vintage-themed white aviation uniform, Lu Lu Belle offers a polite salute before she lets her hair down and takes us to the Danger Zone with her raunchy, risque burlesque number. If there’s one thing for sure, it’s that Lu Lu Belle’s performance is most certainly star spangled as she dons silver star nipple tassels and “assels” that she twirls and spins with tactical precision.
Fun, fresh and showcasing both seasoned professionals as well as brand spanking new performers, Pop Culture Cabaret is a jam-packed variety show that movie buffs, pop culture nerds and avid burlesque fans alike are all sure to enjoy.
Dates: Saturday 25 May, Sunday 26 May, Saturday 1 June
Location: Nineteen Ten, 143 Hindley Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Rating: ★★★★★
The Adelaide Insider 