Kanen Breen and Jacqui Dark’s are the Strange Bedfellows, and their cabaret show 'Under The Covers' could not have been given a better name.
What seemed to be an extremely odd couple was simultaneously the most appropriate and logical pairing since Will & Grace, but not as suitable for television. The show is autobiographical, and Kanen and Jacqui try their best to explain their unorthodox situation to the audience.
The pair sang their way through awkward bedroom situations and take turns revealing their innermost thoughts, feelings and experiences through song. Accompanied on piano by composer Daryl Wallis, the Strange Bedfellows made their way through catchy covers and stirring original music.
The performance was filled with pitch perfect, operatic vocal tones and heartbreaking stories of loss and trauma, faultlessly woven together with elements of comedy. Jacqui sings of her IVF nightmare, in which she lost countless pairs of possible children until finally, one survived. Somehow, the originally written song was delivered in such a way that the audience were able to feel both amused and heartbroken by the story.
The same went for Kanen’s story of coming out and falling in love, in which he performs a magnificent cover of Peggy Lee’s ‘Is That All There Is’. Although it's a miserable tale of humiliation and pain, Kanen’s ability to give it a comedic edge was astonishing.
The show came to a close with the couple’s musical retelling of an adventurous yet disturbing sexual experiment with a certain pet animal at home, which understandably did not end as well as it began.
But what’s a good cabaret show, or any show for that matter, without an encore? The pair re-emerged from the theatrical curtains of the Visy Theatre for one last hurrah, to the heightened cheers and applause of the audience.
'Strange Bedfellows' is a theatrical tale with balanced elements of sorrow and comedy. Kanen Breen and Jacqui Dark use their unquestionable talents to deliver their stories with the stirring sounds of opera, and connected with the audience using countless different emotions.
Four out of five starry night bedspreads!
The Strange Bedfellows perform 'Under The Covers' at Melbourne Cabaret Festival, 19-20 June.
