Honouring musical legends is one thing. Honouring Kate Bush is another. An Evening Without Kate Bush supersedes the task at hand.
“Kate Bush’s music has been the soundtrack to my life,” Sarah-Louise Young says. Speaking from her Manchester home in the North of England, the UK performer and cabaret extraordinaire finds herself surrounded by props and costumes in her living room – repairing, reorganising and reimagining ahead of “next year’s Antipodean tour” and her Melbourne instalment of An Evening Without Kate Bush.
“The show started in my living room with everything either handmade or bought from Op Shops,” Sarah-Louise shares. “I still like to repair everything myself.”
It’s no surprise that the performer and creator behind An Evening Without Kate Bush is as hands-on as she is. A longtime-performer and even longer-time Kate Bush fan, Sarah-Louise hasn’t just thrown her hat into the ring for this show – she’s thrown her heart into it too.
An Evening Without Kate Bush
- Arts Centre Melbourne
- Wednesday February 5 to Saturday 8
- Tickets here
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An Evening Without Kate Bush is exactly what it sounds like. A one-woman cabaret show that pays tribute to the icon of popular culture and one of the most influential voices in music, An Evening Without Kate Bush is the brain child of Sarah-Louise and creative collaborator Russell Lucas. It’s a tribute show to the legend that is Kate Bush. But it’s also so much more.
“When we started rehearsals, Kate Bush hadn’t performed live in nearly 35 years,” Sarah-Louise says. “We had no idea that halfway through rehearsals she would announce her 22-date comeback residency at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2014!” As Kate Bush fans, Sarah-Louise admits, they were thrilled. “But as theatre-makers, we knew we had to put a pin in our project.”
While the show brewed in the minds of Sarah-Louise and Russell for over five years, their patience was rewarded. They were smart about choosing which icon they were going to pay tribute to, anyway. There wasn’t any chance of Kate Bush going out of fashion in the intermitting period – legends don’t fade. And with fans as dedicated as the ones Kate Bush has amassed over her almost 50-year career, it was clear this creative duo would be speaking to an audience of Fish People that are as passionate as they are.
“We were fascinated by the intense loyalty and love they (and we) felt for her, and wanted to celebrate that on stage,” Sarah-Louise says about Kate Bush’s fanbase. “Whenever we got lost, we’d come back to the fans and their experiences as our anchor point.”
It’s all about the ‘Essence of Kate’
As for the musician herself, Sarah-Louise says Kate Bush’s career provides nothing less than a well of endless inspiration. “Her writing covers so many topics – from falling in love to global warming and nuclear war – and she changed characters and voices frequently,” the performer says. “That ethereal high-pitched voice could morph into whatever she wanted it to, from a donkey to an unborn child.”
“[People] forget how ahead of her time she was, and how funny and self-deprecating she could be one minute and then utterly heartbreaking and profound the next.” Overwhelmed with potential content for An Evening Without Kate Bush, ultimately Sarah-Louise and Russell decided to limit the show to a 70-minute performance. “But we had enough material for a ten-hour ring cycle!” she adds.
Make sure to leave all your expectations at home when you come to the Arts Centre this February. This isn’t any ordinary tribute show. “We describe the show as ‘Essence of Kate’,” Sarah-Louise says. “That’s what we were aiming for, as opposed to any impersonation.”
More than just a tribute show
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It’s the songs you know and love – plus a few you’ve forgotten and a few new ones you’ll discover. That is, painted with the eccentric strokes of a seasoned cabaret performer’s brush. Sarah-Louise isn’t recreating Kate Bush, she’s reimagining her.
“We were interested in how those songs make us feel, how they have impacted our lives,” the performer says about finding her footing within Kate’s discography. “We also wanted to pay homage to her numerous iconic looks without replicating them.”
While An Evening Without Kate Bush is a must-see event for any fan of the artist, that isn’t to say that you have to know every album inside and out to join in on the action.
“We often hear from audience members afterwards who didn’t think they knew many of her songs, but had a wonderful time anyway,” Sarah-Louise says. “They loved the sense of community we created and the celebration of being together, sharing stories.”
Fans, newbies and Fish People are all welcomed
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If you’re a big fan though, then buckle up. Immersive and engaging, the show can either be the stage you’ve been waiting for to join in on the chorus of Kate Bush classics, or a place to feel at home in the icon’s music from afar.
“The show offers gentle invitations to join in and is as interactive as you want to make it,” Sarah-Louise says. “Some people come dressed in costume. You can tell as soon as you see them whether they might be up for joining in a bit of backing singing. Others prefer to sit in the darkness and enjoy the experience quietly. Both are equally welcome in An Evening Without Kate Bush.”
“What excites me is that no two shows are ever exactly the same,” Sarah-Louise continues. “Ultimately, by being in the audience with your own memories and love of her music, or even if you’ve been dragged there by a mate and you’re not sure if you know any of her songs, just by being there you are impacting the show.”
You can get tickets to see An Evening Without Kate Bush at the Arts Centre Melbourne from February 5 to 8 here.
This article was made in partnership with the Arts Centre Melbourne.
