A well-designed programme with much time devoted to the true masters of cabaret.

Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide
July 6-8.

Weimar cabaret chanteuse, the sultry Meow Meow needs little introduction. Such has been the level of success that her shows for the Fringe and cabaret festivals, with Barry Humphries and the acclaimed Australian Chamber Orchestra have brought her. This group of ongoing performances immediately placing her amongst the finest interpreters that we have witnessed in this biting, satirical repertoire – Ute Lemper, Robyn Archer and Marianne Faithfull (Now wouldn’t she be a great choice for a Cabaret festival artist?).

From the moment that she strode onstage to sing that seductive Kurt Weill tango Youkali, she immediately had the audience in the palm of her hand. Although, there was an individual dissenter complaining about the fact that so much of this repertoire was delivered in German and other languages rather than English. Miss Meow Meow immediately apologised and promised, rather laconically and without missing a beat, that she would present the rest of the programme in Mandarin, no less! (Mind you, it had been all-too-clearly noted in the festival...