“A story told by strong queer women and one token straight white man (but don’t worry, he has big bi-wife energy).”
Feel like catching a cabaret show, some comedy theatre, or even a dazzling acrobatics display this comedy festival? Sparkle Society production Cab Suave can help you scratch all your itches in one performance.
Ride along with Detective Dick Johnson as he “investigates the sparkly and sultry Cabaret Suave, a questionable establishment run by four scandalous dames,” amidst a stage show full of action, acrobatics, live music and laughter.
Keep up with Melbourne’s latest comedy news, reviews and interviews here.
Sparkle Society partners Latonya Wigginton and Abby Kelso, who direct and act in the production, are behind the highly anticipated show that’s currently running at the Adelaide Fringe Festival to rave reviews. Wigginton can’t wait to bring the fun to the comedy festival and to COVID recovering Melbourne audiences.
“It’s a really fun show we’ve had reviews say that it is like the perfect piece of escapism from the virus that shan’t be named,” she says.
“It’s a celebration about having a good time with your friends. But other than that, it’s film noir themed. If you love vintage movies, or vintage fashion, you’ll definitely enjoy Cab Sauve. It’s got a lot of queer representation and it’s also full of circus tricks, thrilling acrobatics, and lots of action.”
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For Wigginton and her partners the main goal is that everyone walks out of the theatre having had a great time. But they also wanted to put together a stage show that differs in a meaningful way to what you usually find at theatres.
“One of the big things for us is that even though we enjoy flashy and commercial performances, we’re really fed up that those often have these very tired, gender roles in them,” she says.
“Often when you watch those sparkly, big stage musicals there’s a leading man and a leading woman that he has to save.
“Our show isn’t trying to force a message down anybody’s throats or anything, but there is an absence of those kinds of more tired tropes. We really want people to walk away thinking like ‘How great it is to see more positive representation on stage?’. But, also just really having had a banging time.”
The Cab Suave cast is also unlike any other that you are likely to find on stage. Most people would be happy to be able to do one of acrobatics, acting, singing or comedy. The unique cast has to have the ability to do the lot. Cab Suave’s MC, for example “wrote the script for the show, and delivers the script, but also juggles and balances on top of a walking ladder” throughout the production’s 50-minute run time.
If Cab Suave’s current run at Fringe Festival is anything to go by, then the production should be a hit at this year’s comedy fest.
“We’ve had sold out shows on the weekend and people are really vibing it,” Wigginton says. “We’ve been getting really great feedback and really great reviews.”
The Fringe Festival has been the perfect warm-up for Sparkle Society’s first ever Melbourne Comedy Festival gig.
“Abby and I, we’ve been working together for about 10 years, we’ve made a bunch of other smaller shows and everyone in the cast has done a lot of performing,” she says.
“But for us working together as a partnership this is our first really big show that we’re touring and bringing to major festivals. It’s awesome. This will be our first comedy fest as producers and directors.”
Cab Suave promises to have audiences “biting their nails and dancing in their seats”, so its sure to be one you don’t want to miss this festival.
Wigginton and her cast and crew would love to see you and your friends and family there.
“Even though Cab Suave is a show that we’ve made for adults, we do say that it has a rating of ages 10+,” she says.
“That’s where we’re really trying to hit. If you’re a family with some older kids or teenagers and looking for a show that everyone can go to together and enjoy. We are the show for them there’s nothing too risqué or too vulgar with Cab Suave.”
You can catch Cab Suave at Burnley’s Reunion Park from, Thursday March 31. You can get more information and book your tickets online here.
