Schadenfreude, the dark new cabaret hitting Spiegel Haus Melbourne from 28 October, is all about enjoying everyone else's bad day.
Coming to Spiegel Haus this month, Gold Logie, ARIA and Helpmann Award winner Craig McLachlan plays the devilish Dr Schadenfreude, who treats his audience like a waiting room full of case studies.
“Dr Schadenfreude is the sort of man who walks into a room absolutely certain he is the smartest person in it,” McLachlan told Beat.
“Naturally, that makes watching him lose control enormously satisfying.”
Nobody gets to hide in the dark, either.
“They become very much part of Dr Schadenfreude’s spiralling session and, by the end of the show, they may have learnt something slightly uncomfortable about themselves,” McLachlan said.
Schadenfreude
- Where: Spiegel Haus Melbourne
- When: From 28 October, five nights a week
- Tickets here
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Kristian Lavercombe on trading Riff Raff for Hanz Ziety
Lavercombe has played Riff Raff in more than 2,600 performances of The Rocky Horror Show, so a change of scenery was overdue.
“I can’t quite comprehend that I’ve done more than 2,600 performances, but I suspect I’ve earned the right to change things up a little!” he said.
He reckons the two shows share a spark, with a different bite.
“Schadenfreude takes that idea somewhere rather different. It’s a wonderfully strange, silly and unpredictable world, but it also asks some rather uncomfortable questions about human nature.”
That unpredictability is what keeps him on edge. “I still get nervous every night. For me, every performance is a little bit like an opening night,” Lavercombe said.
“I’ve always loved that moment when an audience isn’t entirely sure whether something is planned or whether the wheels are about to come off. That’s where the electricity lies.”
His character, Hanz Ziety, has his own problems.
“I play Hanz Ziety, a man who’s terrified of being seen and judged. So there’s a certain irony in putting myself on a stage in front of hundreds of people and inviting them to watch me squirm!”
Lavercombe is upfront about the costume situation, too.
“I’m quite an introvert, so standing in front of hundreds of people wearing little more than my underwear is a rather peculiar Schadfreudian conundrum,” he said.
Stellar Perry on playing Nurse Von Helga
Perry went from The Voice Australia grand final to playing Magenta in the 50th anniversary tour of The Rocky Horror Show, and says musical theatre has rubbed off on her. “I’ve learned how to be more focused, hard working and respectful of people’s time and energy,” she said.
The creative team was a big drawcard. “Jay, Marc and Sarah are all extremely talented, daring and ‘push the boundary’ types that I think Australian audiences will enjoy. They are fearless and I am very much drawn to that.”
Her own character is a force. “Nurse Von Helga, she’s a badass. German, dom energy while having a softer side.”
Perry compares cabaret to the bigger productions on her CV. “The more commercial theatre I have done felt like a private school and cabaret feels like The Breakfast Club. I honestly enjoy both!”
She’s also keeping one number close to her chest. “It’s an original that resonates with me deeply and leaves me a little choked up every time. It’s called The Gift. I don’t want to spoil it, so I would suggest just coming to see and hear for yourselves.”
The venue’s size helps, too. “Being closer to the audience brings a sense of excitement and danger for the audience and the cast. Anything can happen. Unlike watching Netflix.”
Lavercombe sums up what the cast hope you take home. “I hope audiences leave having had a thoroughly entertaining evening, and perhaps feeling just a tiny bit guilty about how much they’ve enjoyed it!”
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Spiegel Haus.
