After a brisk walk along the piers at Dawes Point with nothing to guide us but Google Maps and pink lights in the distance, we stumbled into the Rebel Theatre for the final night of Deal Me In!, a “glitzy Las-Vegas style dance cabaret featuring some of Sydney’s best variety artists!”
Under the guise of a simple game of poker, Deal Me In! follows a group of hapless players through their game as it descends into chaos, flirtation, and sleight of hand. The 90-minute cabaret effortlessly maintained a perfect balance of comedy, storyline, circus, and glamour, with hilarious moments of audience participation that kept the room engaged from beginning to end.
Walking into a lush theatre, the incredible mood lighting and show logo displayed on the curtains perfectly set the scene, alongside a killer pre-performance playlist. As the lights went down, singer Vivienne Stone (Songbird Siren) made herself known at the back of the audience, floating down the stairs towards the stage in a glittering silver corset and star headdress.
We then met Frankie St. James (Zak Vasiliou), a self-proclaimed Short King, who kept the show moving seamlessly between acts with stand-up, Pringles-themed ASMR, and more. He also ran an audience-wide competition, where poker chips were handed out based on participation with the individual holding the most chips at the end of the show receiving a prize. This really made the show stand out, and I enjoyed how it encouraged the audience to participate more without pressure.
Philipe le Scripte (Courtney Robinson) was the first solo act of the evening, dancing around the stage to “Smiling Faces Sometimes” by The Undisputed Truth in an electric red suit, with trousers that unzipped up the sides and a hidden plushie snake.
Following in quick order was a flirtatious swing dance between Theo Sparkes (Justin Sacco) and Daisy Fontaine (Alanna Hocking), who stunned the audience with their effortless spins and flips. Sparkling under a pink spotlight, Lola Champagne’s (Nicole Aspinall) attempt to give a reading to a member of the audience went astray when she pulled the Death card. She escaped to the stage for an incredible burlesque number that began with her spinning out of a skirt and ended in a life-sized martini glass, all under the same pink spotlight. Unfortunately for Lola, she had accidentally brought her Tarot cards to the poker table instead of playing cards, and thus was forced to fold.
Frankie returned as a masterclass of scripted improv as he skillfully and hilariously foiled a front row member’s attempt to pilfer Lola’s skirt. After the theft was averted, he took someone backstage with him while Vivienne taught everyone else a dance. Frankie returned with his audience volunteer dressed up as Elvis Presley, and I have to give her so much credit for her enthusiastic and immediate commitment to the role.
Vivienne’s solo consisted of a jazz ballad cover of Poker Face by Lady Gaga, before Theo Sparkes returned for a tap number that featured a surprise – a seventh poker player! (Cooper Cossettini)
Affectionately dubbed as “Sound Guy” by myself, Theo and the surprise cast addition engaged in friendly competition through a synchronised dance that featured canes, brooms, and a conspicuous prop that wobbled in time with their jumps and spins. This quickly devolved into a full-cast bar fight/dance number, with the cast taking turns beating up the interloper while he lunged at Theo.
Scarlett Voss (Etana Wasley) then took the spotlight for a “solo” magic act, but Sound Guy was quickly discovered as her hidden assistant. Their every attempt became increasingly disastrous, escalating until Scarlett was trapped in her own slacks during a quick-change trick. Philipe then came back on stage for a fire-eating solo, lighting his own hands, arms, and tongue on fire to keep the torches lit. After another Frankie interlude had him commentating on a game of snap, the flirtation between Theo and Daisy finally came to fruition through an incredible aerial set that received an audible “Wow!” from the audience while Vivienne sang.
The poker game came to a tense close as Scarlett decided to try and cheat the house to win the game. The final group number featured a comically large card that was tossed about between the cast as they danced and flipped and rode tables across the stage. The final surprise of Deal Me In! arrived in the form of Frankie St James’ tearaway pants as he delivered an impassioned speech on late-stage capitalism and posed in his golden hot pants.
To book tickets to Deal Me In!, please visit https://www.dealmeintheshow.com/.
