Host and MC Paul Dabek takes the audience on a nostalgic stroll through the London of his memories â and honestly, who doesnât love a wander down memory lane? When that journey is punctuated by performers of this calibre, it becomes something truly special.
Framed around stories of a childhood train trip to visit his grandad and wide-eyed visits to Londonâs iconic landmarks, each anecdote is cleverly paired with a complementary act. The result is a show that feels cohesive rather than just a string of variety performances. And what performances they are! Weâre treated to dizzying suitcase spinning, a breath-taking aerialist, juggling (with his mouth!), mesmerising hoop work â human slinky, anyone? â magic, illusion, and shadow puppetry that has absolutely no right to be that exciting. Seriously, highlight of the night.
The show is completely family-friendly⊠but learn from my mistake and maybe donât bring your kids. Mine mocked me relentlessly while I cringed through audience participation and then finished me off by asking about the âoldâ references and music. Nothing like your children to humble you after an epic night out.
Having seen more than a few Fringe shows this season, Londonâs Calling is a genuine standout (thank you to the friend who told me to do myself a favour and book tickets â excellent life advice). The performers are immensely skilled, Dabek keeps the energy soaring, and the staging elevates the entire experience. The projected backdrop transforms ‘plastic chairs in a disused tennis court’ into faraway streets, effortlessly transporting the audience across the globe.
In short: clever, polished, and wildly entertaining â this is one call you definitely want to answer.
Inspired by the words; âItâs time to lay your old self to rest â and be reborn as the ultimate version of yourself, as you were always meant to be. This is your ending. This is your beginning. This is FUNERALâ, I ventured over to Howler in Brunswick on 29/1/26 to see âFuneralâ, a âlive music performance from dark, electronic, alt-pop phenomenon, KING IV.â (Pronounced I-V-Y.)
âFuneralâ is the live performance of KING IVâs dance-pop album, âPsychopomp: the other side.â Melbourne artist, Cheyenne Harper, is professionally known as King IV, who imagines herself as a conduit between two worlds, which provides her â and in turn, us – with a feeling of freedom and power.
The MIDSUMMA festival program is made up of diverse art forms and genres, so I knew âFuneralâ by King IV would be far from vanilla. I certainly got more than I expected – as Iâm sure crowds discovered from King IVâs past gigs at Beyond the Valley, Melbourne Music Week and previous live and large events.
All songs are originals, written and composed by Harper and backed by a visual feast of cinematic projections and dark choreography, to live and synth-ed music. Donât fear or judge the synthesizer. These songs are truthful and from the soul. There is a rawness and honesty thrown artistically and boldly in-your-face, and each track leaves you wanting more.
Beginning with a video wall as wide as the stage and evocative words conveying her âred beingâ crossing to the other side, we meet a sensual King IV with her 2023 single, âSee you laterâ, a song about seeking pleasure and letting the light of passion free one from darkness.
King IV told Australian Music Scene in 2022 the song ââŠpoured out of her after a night out clubbing and being love-bombed by the person she was out with.â When writing âSee you laterâ, she was also influenced by psychotherapist, Carl Jung, and his quotes on passion, including, ââŠthey must be on fire even if they make a fool of themselvesâŠâ
âSee you laterâ, is both erotic and clubby so, everyone at Howler moved towards the stage where we could be closer to even more surreal imagery from this extraordinary artist and her voice-over, asking;
âDid you become the forest? Or the space between the stars? The wind crossed through the valley, or the harsh and ancient jars? I reach for you in the windâŠ. in earth, in flame, in sea. Whatever form youâve taken, please leave a space for me. Tell me if youâre alright, even if youâre not. Even if youâre gone now. Is your soul forever lost? Welcome to the cosmos and floating on the stars. A break inside the universe. Youâre always in my heart.â
She has taken us to the Afterlife. Itâs something weâve all considered, especially after profound loss.
King IV, as her âred beingâ, then returns with a plethora of pumping poetry.
A funky kick-beat of a song, âWickedâ, was one of my favourites. – âWe can cross the seasons. We can reach the stars.â I resonated with her âwicked witchy womanâ story.
Next, âNight and Dayâ with IV singing inside a red-lit coffin, standing centre stage. Loved the electric guitar riff on this one. – âI like it when you taste it. I do. I do. I like it when weâre naked. I do. I do.â
âMurderâ mixed ethereal vocals and electronic layers.
âPsychopompâ was a stand-out. – âIâm a fire-breathing dragon. Always ready for some action.â
Ultra-talented Pat Gabriel, composer and musical director – @pattyboomba – plays the keyboard, the strings and other recorded pieces throughout the whole show and, it’s obvious to everyone he loves what heâs doing. Heavy on the bass, he interprets his talents within King IVâs compositions.
The Funeral dancers are fit and fast with dynamic and demonic moves, framing King IV fabulously along this unique journey sheâs created for us.
âPsychopomp; the other sideâ is an excellent electronic, dance compilation, moody and theatrical, exploring hedonistic lifestyle, personal transformation and pushing each of us to claim our own unique identity. – âTo truly transform, you must let the old self die â and trust that something greater is waiting to be born.â
Words of wisdom to live by as we venture into 2026.
Purchase King IVâs âPsychopomp: the other sideâ album from Bandcamp, an online site that directly support the artists who make music.
I wasnât sure what to expect as I entered The Jonesway Theatre in Northbridge to watch I am Grease Grillson, one of the many shows currently on for the Perth Fringe Festival.
For those who are unaware, the Fringe Festival is an opportunity for various performers and artists to showcase their talents.
Having met at clown school in France, yes there is such a thing as clown school, performer Elise Wilson and director Duncan Young teamed up for the creation of I am Grease Grillson.
You may come away from this show thinking what on earth was that all about. In this instance, it would be best to go to the show with an open mind.
The show opens with solo performer, Elise dressed in character as Grease Grillson in heavyweight lifting attire topping it off with a drawn-on moustache and body hair, lifting an elephant, not real of course as itâs all mimed.
The storyline is, by design or by limitation, a little thin. Grease Grillson, a heavyweight lifter who moves through life with a persistent belief that he is ânot enough,â punctuated by flashbacks from his time in an orphanage through to his eventual success. The orphanage material usefully signals the origin of the characterâs insecurity.
Nonetheless, as a performance grounded in clowning, mime, and physical comedy, it delivers consistent entertainment, proving that, even when the storyline is light, rigorous physical craft can carry the evening.
Ever since I lived a stoneâs throw away from Sydneyâs infamous Stonewall Hotel on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst, Iâve had a fascination with drag queens. Their makeup, their costumes, and the way they move has always mesmerised me.
So when I got the opportunity to review Ro Dahlâs Drag Show, I was curious to see if Perthâs drag scene could bring it like their Sydney sistersâand bring it they did.
As I sat down in Perthâs iconic Connection Nightclub, I was whisked back to some blurry memories of visiting here as a younger woman. The audience was a diverse mix of ages, sexes, and ethnicitiesâeveryone was welcome.
The show opened with our host for the night, the beautiful and elegant Moxie Heart as the glamorous Fantastic Mr Fox, instantly creating a warm and fun atmosphere. I must commend her impeccable drag queen voiceâsweet, smooth, and polished. She treated us to an introductory dance flanked by the fantastic Peach Pit Crew; I felt like I was watching a Backstreet Boys music video from the â90sâso much fun!
From that moment on, the smile was pasted on my face and didnât leave for the entirety of this fabulous show. The joy the performers clearly exuded was contagious, with the audience clapping along throughout.
This group of showgirls is incredibly talented and endlessly entertaining. From watching Charlie Bucket (Jaxon Coke) twirl across the stage, flipping with outstanding acrobatics, to Veruca Salt (Veruca Sour) gracing us with her award-winning burlesque moves, the entertainment never stopped rolling.
The standout performance had to go to Sassie Cassie as the Witch. Her commitment to character is paramount, and she was definitely the performer who made me smile the mostânearly falling off my chair as she waltzed down the aisle during her act. Her makeup and costume were phenomenal. Knowing it can take her up to five hours to paint that beautiful face, I am in total awe of the dedication involved.
Special mention must also go to Beau Pash as Roly Poly Bird, a clearly seasoned drag queen who had the audience in fits of laughter. Brenda Wee as Matilda was absolutely adorable with clever costume reveals, and Bush Rat as Willy Wonka proved to be a highly talented dancer.
There is so much to love about this showâthe energy, the extraordinary lip-syncing, the humour. It will leave you wanting more.
My 60-year-old mother, whom I took along, summed it up perfectly with her first comment: âWhen can we go again?â She truly enjoyed it immensely.
I implore you to get out of the house and see this Fringe show before you miss it. The art of drag is completely underrated, and I can guarantee you wonât go home disappointedâyouâll go home buzzing and wanting more.
