Reuben Kaye - Adelaide Fringe Review 2021

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Fri 19 Feb 2021 - Sun 21 Mar 2021

When you are in the presence of Reuben Kaye, everything else around you appears to be a blur. With an enigmatic personality that complements his chiselled features, Kaye's aura on stage is unfathomable. He was born to not only be on stage but own the space that encapsulates his aura in ways that will leave you in a constant state of awe.

Kaye has an unparalleled stage presence that deserves a standing ovation in itself. The way this glorious man can carry himself in 6-inch stilettos and an envious (and rather weighted) scarlet waistcoat and strut from end to end of the intimate Spiegeltent is admirable. Never leaving his trusted mic with a shiny horse's tail flapping about, every single minute of the show has been devoted towards Kaye's ability to rope his audiences into a world that explores his various life milestones. Through the art of enticing storytelling skills, powerful singing, and animated cabaret, Kaye touches on topics that demolish queerphobia and denounces classism, religion, climate change deniers, and toxic masculinity with sheer sophistication, sass and substance.

Despite the lighthearted and fun-filled nature of his performance, his narrative offers moments of glass-shattering truth bombs around the life of a boy who simply wanted to be recognized and acknowledged for who he is. A particular highlight that replicated a moment of serenity and calm was when Kaye emotively described the actions with which his father would teach Kaye to paint on canvas, which he then compares to the birth of his fierce new persona that towered over us in that moment.

Kaye appears to be this intimidating man who very carefully strips away the seemingly 'nothing can beat me' exterior to reveal someone who has been through some serious, messed up sh*t and despite it all, nurtures a heart of gold within. Even though his ability to deliver sharp jabs at audiences with the most brilliant zingers, he is able to captivate everyone in the room with his raw vulnerability and his poignant recounts of desperately craving a healthy familial relationship. The delivery of his material expertly bounces between being nonchalant and passionate and it is through this art of eloquent storytelling that he is able to leave the audiences mesmerized by his personal growth, which shines at pivotal moments throughout the show.

Kaye is, simply put, a superstar. He is unapologetically honest and will say what he thinks without giving it a second thought. We all need someone like Kaye in our lives who can ground us and make us look at the world from a refreshed perspective. Plus, we could all use a bit of playful debauchery in our lives from time to time, right?!

Please understand that this is not your regular cabaret show - Kaye has constructed a 75-minute piece of quality camp entertainment that packs a generous punch of satirical comedy, dark humor, exceptional drag, foot-stomping music, quick-witted improvisation, and a gut-wrenching yet soul-touching narrative that will make you gasp for more by the end of the show. Reuben Kaye is a force to be reckoned with - do not miss him.

Overall rating: & #9733 ;& #9733 ;& #9733 ;& #9733 ;& #9733 ;

Reuben Kaye will be performing at the Wonderland Spiegeltent Festival Hub till March 21 2021, as part of Adelaide Fringe. Tix can be purchased here . He is also part of The Kaye Hole, which is at the Octagon in Gluttony till March 20 - purchase your tix here .

#adelaide_city
#cabaret
#greater_adelaide
#shows
#february
#march
!date 19/02/2021 -- 21/03/2021
%wnadelaide