By Peter Maddern
Those who were looking for the stronger, darker cabaret themes of Kate Caberano’s festival (relative to the hoopla of David Campbell’s last one) need look no further than Australian (now US resident) Kim Smith.
Appearing from within the audience (and leaving the same way), Smith creates a likeable yet simultaneously obnoxious persona with coy yet camp gestures and a fixed Luna Park smile that emits delightfully condescending patter to his audience (as well as his piano accompanist Amanda Hodder.)
Claiming to be a ‘professional misfit’ and ‘magpie – one who collects shiny objects’, Smith’s voice is superb (even if the vertical dimension of his mouth is constrained by that smile) as he interprets a number of songs well known to audience members but in other guises – Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang, ONJ’s Let’s Get Physical, portions of Porgy and Bess by the Gershwin siblings amongst them, as well as numbers in German and French.
Truly a master of his craft, Smith’s Misfit is a show not to be missed – wonderfully crafted and executed. An hour was not enough.
Kryztoff Rating 4K
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