The "C" word: Why cabaret will never die

By Troy Dodds

The emergence of new venues committed to the cause, a range of young performers giving it new vibrancy and the return of a few veterans means it's time to declare: cabaret has made a Sydney comeback.

While the Statement Cabaret Lounge and the El Rocco Room at Bar Me have helped the genre survive amidst growing pressure in recent years, even more cabaret haunts are starting to pop up, with the AB Hotel in Glebe and Slide on Oxford Street now boasting regular cabaret line-ups.

All four venues are presenting cabaret shows this week - something almost unheard of a year ago.

The emergence of such venues and the continued success of Statement and Bar Me is something the industry normally experienced in the weeks and months following the now defunct annual Sydney Cabaret Convention, where new life was breathed into the industry thanks to people who had been caught up in the excitement.

Natalie Gamsu, who is currently playing a season at Statement, says cabaret will never completely disappear from the cultural landscape.

"Cabaret's been 'dying' for a long time, but I truly think there will always be a place for it. There will always be a need for an art form that is intimate and real," she said.

"It's hard to bullshit in cabaret and not be caught out. I love the connection with the audience in that intimate setting. I love the freedom to re-frame songs so that people suddenly hear it as if for the first time. I want to do it because I love the art form that it is and I hope to one day be very very good at it."

The return of seasoned artists like David Campbell and Tim Draxl to the intimate stages of the El Rocco Room last year helped give the genre some life, the sold out performances proving there's still interest from a city so often obsessed with how quickly time is passing it by.

There's also been the emergence of several new artists, including superstar-in-waiting Robert Bertram, who wraps up his season of shows at the El Rocco Room this weekend. Bertram has been widely acclaimed and, at 26, has a huge future ahead of him.

Belinda Wollaston, who presented her first cabaret show at 18 some five years ago, believes there's still a want amongst young performers to participate in the genre.

"There's no money in cabaret, and that's sometimes the best thing about it," she said.

"What you get from watching a cabaret artist perform is the knowledge that they want to be up there on stage, they want to share their stories and they care about the audience before them."

Veterans like Phil Scott and Judi Connelli constantly perform shows at various venues, while Chelsea Plumley recently presented two solo shows in Sydney - her first in Australia in years.

James Templeman, Marketing Manager of the AB Hotel, said his venue provides free entry, something quite unique.

“We are aiming to provide high quality and diverse cabaret style entertainment," he said.

Veteran performer Monica Trapaga is currently performing a season of shows at the venue, which has already hosted award-winning artists Hayden Tee and Shaun Rennie.

Tee, who won the New York Award at the Sydney Cabaret Convention, is something of a mainstay in the industry these days, being one artist who has built his profile in cabaret ahead of musical theatre, even though he has appeared in several major shows including Les Miserables in London. Tee's recent show, Matinee Idols, went on tour and was his most successful to date.

Natalie Gamsu is playing at the Statement Cabaret Lounge until August 4. Bookings: 1300 136 166.

Robert Bertram plays at the El Rocco Room until July 22. Bookings: (02) 9368 0894.

Monica Trapaga plays at the AB Hotel in Glebe until August 2. Bookings: (02) 9660 1417.