They are all short plays/sketches that can been seen on Thursdays nights in Balmain in Not Quite Cabaret. This is Season Two of three. Season One which I also reviewed was fantastic and a sell out season. Season Two I can say is just as good if not better, if that is possible.
Each of the sketches are very funny and light hearted as Deborah Bradshaw said at the start there is 'nothing too heavy so you don't have to worry'. Deborah's focus is to make sure everybody has a relaxing enjoyable evening with friends, and it works. The Exchange Hotel has a air of colloquial warmth, helped by the fire and furnishings. The room where Not Quite Cabaret takes place is intimate, lit by candles and was a great place to be on a chilly winters night.
The seven sketches (there were two RAF sketches) were all played by Deborah Bradshaw, Belinda Crawley, Brendon Taylor and Leigh Scully. They were all great and very versatile, playing characters from Darth Vader to a personal trainer and a whale to the French resistance, you get the idea! The seven sketches were all very different but all contained a huge amount of humour and classic lines like "powdered egg is just so gay" there were many more but taken out of context would make little sense.
The first sketch Birdmonster was one of the cleverest and would have been one of the more difficult ones to perform. It was about three parents who meet daily at the park with their children. They have the usual gossip session interspersed with conversations with the children. It is full of innuendo and will have you laughing within a minute of it starting.
Darth was another standout this season. I am sure Darth was loosely based on Basil Fawtly. It was very well written and again you couldn't help but laugh, otherwise he could kill you with just one thought! "would you like peas with that?"
Just thinking about the night has me smiling, it was great comic therapy and I can't wait to see what they will do for Season Three in October/ November.
Not Quite Cabaret plays every Thursday at the Exchange Hotel until 26 July, www.notquitecabaret.com
