Delving into the relationship deep, Cassie George has brought her autobiographical cabaret to the Brisbane Powerhouse.
Cleverly poking fun at her life and conquests, her earnest and realistic approach to humour made for light entertainment and a very amusing evening.
Nestled in the Turbine Studio, ‘There’s Something About Mary(s)’ took us on a rollercoaster ride of the romantic adventures of a female, with a solid Christian upbringing, in an adoring queer community.
Chronologically categorising her experiences with love – both reciprocated and not – Cassie craftily painted the picture of a single girl, trying to find the man of her dreams, in a boy meets boy world.
She provided a raw insight in to the dilemmas of dealing with her ‘gaggle of gay’ friends and potential boyfriends, all whilst balancing a fine line and keeping the Liza Minnelli inspired title of ‘Queen Fag Hag’.
With her abilities to laugh at herself, even when tech mishaps threatened to ruin the pace of the show, she was witty, captivating and comical; handling hecklers with ease (even if they were mostly from her mum).
Adhering to an ‘actor’s budget’, the simple set design took us to a girl's bedroom. This was further supported by Cassie’s cosy dressing gown, which aptly transformed into a sexy black nightie during her preach of sexual expression.
Cassie was accompanied by her pianist, Musical Director and bestie, Luke Volker, throughout every act of her transfixing life. The two bounced off each other and comically interrupted storytelling to keep things moving.
Luke provided a stunning '90s soundtrack to Cassie’s escapades, featuring renditions of Salt N Pepa, Jewel and Cher, drawing the crowd in further and making moments relatable.
Special mention must also be made to Co-Writer, Michael Mandalios, who although not on stage, has left an evident mark on a very effective show.
‘There’s Something About Mary(s)’ is another cabaret that has successfully performed at the Short+Sweet 2016 Festival as a Gala Finalist, as well as making an appearance in the Queensland Cabaret Festival and Ipswich’s Studio 188 this year.
The transition of new talent into Brisbane’s Powerhouse is evident and ‘There’s Something About Mary(s)’ does nothing but please audience members.
Although there is potential within the show to expand more into the friendships of her gay peers, Cassie has shone a spotlight on the struggles of finding ‘the one’ in today’s society – from the perspective of a girl who desires love and who has plenty of love to give.
