by Cate Altamura (
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Ever since I was 7-years-old, I knew I wanted to be a writer and made my own Mr Men books. Today, I am a freelance writer and have the privilege to review bands, theatre and comedy across Melbourne, not to mention interview some incredible artists.
Nigella Lawson has been bringing her sexy brand of cooking to our screens for years and Raelene Isbester's cabaret show,
Nigella-Love Bites, comes close to embodying the domestic goddess.
Performing 3 shows at the Alex Theatre in St Kilda,
Nigella - Love Bites takes the audience on a journey through Nigella Lawson's life for 60 minutes. There is no denying that Isbester is talented but for me, some parts of the show fell flat and my interest started to wain towards the end.
Set in Lawson's kitchen, Isbester perfected Lawson's rich British accent. Her storytelling was interesting as she touched on Lawson's highly publicised divorce and alleged drug use. She sang about Lawson's first husband John and the trials and tribulations of her tumultuous marriage to Charles Saatchi and the bitter aftermath. As she cooked chocolate cake and stuffed a plastic chicken with the help of an audience member, Isbester sang, danced and ate her way through the show. Stuffing a whole profiterole in her mouth was perhaps a highlight of the night.
Isbester has a sultry and powerful voice and knows how to gain the audience's attention, especially the men in the crowd. Dressed in a tight fitting red dress, Isbester definitely looked the part. Her one-women cabaret show is mostly engaging but as stated before, she lost me with some of her lacklustre scenes.
Nigella - Love Bites explores the highs and lows of Nigella's career and worth the effort if you're a fan.
