No Hat, No Play! The Cabaret - Adelaide Fringe Review 2022

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Overall rating: & #9733 ;& #9733 ;& #9733 ;& #9733 ;1/2

Melbourne queer comedy duo Mel O'Brien and Samantha Andrew bring you No Hat, No Play! The Cabaret: the show about everything primary school, except the education. Together Mel and Sam star as various characters from the schoolyard, from the older year level students who thought they were better than fairy bread, to the students in their horse girl phase, and more of the kids you wanted, and never wanted, to be.



This show is all the awkward memories you forgot about the transition from child to tween: scissoring dolls, rebelling to be cool for high school, and dodgy behaviour at the back of the oval. Featuring an original soundtrack including songs about dobbing and show and tell, primary level feminist takes on nursery rhymes, and sketches about excursions to the art gallery and the Premier's Reading Challenge.

To be clear, I'm the ideal audience for this cabaret. I'm a '96 baby who grew up in Australia with a love of live performance and a fan of Sam's work on the stage and Tik Tok . But this show offers nostalgia for all Gen Zers and Millenials, especially those of us still clinging on to youth while crying about the housing crisis or whatever else us young people cry about.



Mel and Sam capture the high energy of preadolescents with the overuse of coarse language they've freshly learned and inappropriate sexual humour they giggle into every conversation. But the raunchiness is dialled up a few thousand notches with a cock ring, saddle and dance moves far more explicit than the slut drop popular in the 2000s. Choreography and bright lights boost the frequent musical numbers to give the show the vitality of a rowdy end-of-term class.

Mel balances her comedic ability with her musical talent singing a solo friendship break-up ballad and keeping the audience laughing. Sam's solo 'I Love You James.L' cleverly teases cringey preteen crush behaviour without mocking a relatable girl experience.

In a non-stop show, keeping up with all the jokes may be hard for tired adults. The use of overlapping voices and quick lyrical gags in song, while overall to the credit of the show's intensity and humour, can sometimes forget to leave pauses for jokes to be heard and appreciated by the entire audience.

Mel and Sam are skilled musical and physical comedians, and adlib well as a pair. Occasionally Mel sees great opportunities to improvise and break character to involve the audience in gags or make up for a slipup. The opening night crowd gave as good Mel and Sam gave so as the season continues it'll be great to see them play with the audience more.

Down an energy drink and get along to No Hat, No Play! The Cabaret at Gluttony on until Monday 14th of March.

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