With acclaimed seasons previously in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, ‘Britney Spears: The Cabaret’ is returning for a run of shows this July.
“What you should expect is Britney Songs the way you've never heard them before,” says award-winning writer/ director Dean Bryant, “good and done by a beautiful girl [Christie Whelan Browne] wearing very little who will do anything to make you laugh and then make you cry.”
Along with his partner and musical director of the performance, Matthew Frank, Dean has helped craft a show that explores the highs and lows of being Britney Spears. “Basically the show is an exploration of Britney's life through her songs, which kind of starts out taking the piss out of her, but ends up being a look at what it might really feel like to be a young woman with the whole eyes of the world watching. You go for a bit of a laugh and end up quite moved about her story and about how universal her experience is.
“Once upon a time she was really looking like she was not going to bounce back very well and of course she has. She's with her kids now, she’s seeing people and she's the most successful touring artist in the world at the moment financially.”
The show has received rave reviews (including the Sydney Morning Herald labelling it ‘hilariously sad and sadly hilarious’); this time it's been updated to include Britney's latest shenanigans, but Dean hasn't forgotten to include those cringeworthy moments of her past. “We update it every time we do a new season so that it's always current to what's going on in her life, so you can expect her to talk about the Las Vegas residency.
"You’ve got to acknowledge and re-shape the show to fit where she is in her life right now. In the early stages of forming the show, as I was listening to ‘Circus’, which is our opening number for the cabaret, I was thinking 'this is such a great song for setting up the whole shit that Britney has gone through' especially when she was just getting over the court order which took her kids away from her and singing so badly. All that kind of stuff where you went 'how did such a promising beautiful 17 year old girl get to this situation'?”
Dean and Matthew have been a couple for 17 years and have several hit musicals under their belts. Dean attributes their success to being able to share and build ideas together with no constraints. “I guess we're very lucky. We're one of those creative relationships that don't ever have to set aside time to work, so you know if someone has an idea at dinner it comes out... it's always a creative space. “Also, we both really like the same kind of theatre. The sort of stuff that we write and that we've seen in theatre moves you but also makes you laugh. So we strive to do that kind of stuff together.”
With four new seasons scheduled throughout July, Dean is confident this version of ‘Britney’ will be a hit. “I'm feeling really good about the shows. We always get the most outrageous audience in Brisbane. They’re kind of the most gung-ho of the Australian audiences. I find they always make it really exciting.”
Britney: The Cabaret Tour Dates
Wed Jul 23 until Sun Aug 10 - The Loft at Chapel Off Chapel (Melbourne)Wed Aug 13 until Sun Aug 17 - Visy Theatre at Brisbane Powerhouse
Wed Aug 18 until Sun Sep 7 - Hayes Theatre Co (Sydney)
Sun Sep 21 - Riverside Theatres (Parramatta)
