This hesitance was uncalled for, as it happens, being that the show itself did not see Ratzke attempting to mimic Bowie but rather saw him as himself playing the part of Bowie, resulting in a highly unique performance.
In the opening moments, a voice thundered across the empty stage and dark room as if from the heavens. As if the beginning of a David Attenborough space themed documentary, the narrator painted a picture of a cosmic universe in which there existed a star for each and every one of the seven billion people that inhabit the earth. Essentially, he said, we each have our own star floating around in space.
From the shadows appeared a pianist, a drummer and a bass player before a statuesque figure pounced from behind the curtains framing the stage and commanded the attention of all. Wearing a Labyrinth inspired garment with a frilled-neck lizard meets haute-couture collar, satin pants which were so tight they looked as though they might be painted onto his body and knee high, high-heeled boots, Ratzke certainly looked the part. His fine blonde hair was quaffed into a lion’s mane that managed to remain perfectly groomed despite his enthusiastic dancing. From there Ratzke began to tell a tale that would transport the audience to distant lands for the evening.
Taking the audience first to London in 1969, we met Bowie at a nightclub though only from afar, proceeding to follow him across his digs in New York where we met Andy Warhol, LA where we met Elizabeth Taylor and Berlin. All the while, Ratzke invited the audience into the tale, asking members of the front row questions and weaving them into the story as he went.
Ratzke proceeded to shed items of clothing and undergo costume changes throughout the evening, donning everything from a predominantly sheer, skin-tight blouse which displayed a remarkable cleavage between his pectoral muscles to a turquoise suit jacket with a long asymmetrical hemline and shoulder pads that would put your mum’s ’80s wears to shame. The most impressive element however, remained Ratzke’s ability to titter, twirl, prance and pounce across the stage without ever stumbling on his platform boots, pausing for a breath or missing a note.
The performance was a mixture of elaborate storytelling, renditions of Bowie’s tracks and a few of Ratzke’s own songs written in honour of the original Starman. Again, Ratzke wasn’t here to impersonate his idol, meaning he reworked classic tracks such as ‘Fame’, ‘Starman’, ‘Space Oddity’, ‘Life on Mars’ and ‘Heroes’ with his own arrangements. At times he would amp the tracks up, giving them a jazz-fuelled reworking, at other times he would strip them bare and elongate them, ensuring the impact of each and every line was absorbed.
The performance is one that could’ve easily fallen flat had it not been for Ratzke’s exuberant stage presence. He was charismatic, confident and commanding, so much so that he could steal the drink from your hand and down the lot or wipe his saliva covered hand through your hair and you’d still find yourself laughing – these aren’t hypothetical scenarios either.
As the performance wound to an end, Ratzke spoke of his idol, the late, great David Bowie, and how he had given his blessing for Starman before his passing, a tear or two glinting in his eyes as he recalled receiving the blessing. Finishing with an original number ‘Star Children’ he had penned as a homage to the show’s subject, one couldn’t help but be swept away with the heartfelt undercurrent of the otherwise upbeat performance.
Highlight: It’s a toss-up between Ratke’s rendition of ‘Heroes’ and his outfits.
Lowlight: There was one particular joke I won’t repeat that rubbed me the wrong way, though I suspect Ratzke had good intentions.
Crowd favourite: ‘Space Oddity’.
