Not Quite Cabaret 2014

Not Quite Cabaret has returned on a Friday night to the Exchange Hotel Balmain. It is a great way to end a busy week, with a glass or two, good food and a belly full of laughs. T

he Exchange Hotel in Balmain is full of character, though on Fridays you will see a few unusual characters too. Tucked away in a candle lit room, you can enjoy a meal while watching Not Quite Cabaret. As the title says, it is not cabaret but the room is set with tables and chairs, there is a small stage where you will enjoy six different short sketches. All the sketches in this season are very funny and very well written. Those of you who have been before, this is some of the best of the best.

TV Gold, Sushi Wushi Woo, Darth Vader, Crush, Renegade and World War 2. Unlike previous years there is only one interval, but after the interview is a double whammy of World War 2, these sketches have been an audience favourite for many seasons. They revolve around two airman who are certainly not the brightest in fact one of them has little knowledge that he is even in a war and has inadvertently bombed Britain by mistake.

There are four actors for the whole night, so yes, they play multiple characters. To make a night like this work you do need a strong cast who can quickly adapt in and out of roles. Jasper Garner Gore, Brinly Meyer, Fabrizio Omodei and Lara Lightfoot gave a first class performance all directed by Gary Boulter. Deborah Bradshaw the producer of Not Quite Cabaret has a very hands on approach and greets and seats all the audience members and warms everyone up with a filthy dirty joke.

Not Quite Cabaret is a fun night out, for more information - www.notquitecabaret.com

Not Quite Cabaret - Review

Birdmonster, Push Yourself, RAF, Darth, Crush and A Little Blue what have they all got in common?
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

Radio Interviews from The Hubbub

11 June On the Hubbub, Triple H 100.1 fm weekly show 5 - 7 pm

Deborah Bradshaw the Director of Not Quite Cabaret, find out why she created the show and what you can expect in Season Two which kicks off on 21 June at the Exchange Hotel Balmain.

Josef Ber actor in Porn Cake. What is Porn Cake? Find out, playing at the SBW Stables Theatre from 20 June.

Bruce Glen - Interview

Bruce Glen a man of magic! Bruce is about to bring his Bespoke Magic - On the Fringe of Reality to the Exchange Hotel, Balmain on Friday 13 April.

Find out more from Bruce who was recently interviewed on Triple H 100.1 fm on The Hubbub show.

(please note the link will become inactive in about 3 months time, call 02 99403649 if you would like to listen)

Not Quite Cabaret

Not Quite Cabaret - a belly full of laughs.
Not Quite Cabaret has one more night on 5 April before it has a break to return for a second season on 21 June. If you missed this run you must go to the next one, we are already planning when, with family and friends.
So what is Not Quite Cabaret? It is a series of short plays at the Exchange Hotel in Balmain which is amazing in itself. The room is set up cabaret style so you can eat and drink while watching the show.  There are seven plays and two intervals (so plenty of time to talk and top up your glasses!). The same cast perform throughout the evening, which is great for them as they get to show off how multifaceted they are; and they were. It could easily go wrong you only have to have one actor not pulling their weight, or for some reason if the audience didn't take to one of the actors for the whole show to fall apart. Deborah Bradshaw the producer of the show picked well! The plays too were well chosen as she said at the beginning if you don't like one you will like the next. Mind you, I don't think anybody would really dislike any of them. I did have a favourite RAF, which I will need to see again as I was laughing so hard I missed most of it! All the plays were funny so it made for great Thursday night entertainment.
Ghost Writer - So you think it is all about me! I can't say anymore than that without spoiling it!
Sushi Wushi Woo - picking men is like picking Sushi, if you are not quick all the good ones are gone!
Role Play - How to pick up a date!
RAF - whato! Who's Hilter? warning extremely funny, well I thought so!
Sally's Choice - a short farce, regarding we women are just not satisfied in bed!
Young Amazon - When we were young? What did they do?
Pride and Prejudice - the whole story in ten minutes!
I really couldn't fault it, the staging and direction was kept simple which it needed, to keep it fast paced and flowing. The costumes were again good, the sound, well music reflected each of the plays. Bruce Glen wowed the audience with a few magic tricks during the interval at the tables. He has his own showing coming up next month.
Well done Deborah and all the actors you should be very proud of what you have achieved.

Interview with Deborah Bradshaw

Deborah Bradshaw is the producer of Not Quite Cabaret, which is about to start its first run of shows for 2012 that the Exchange Hotel, Balmain on 8 March.
Find out why it is not quite cabaret and why you should go, plus find out how Deborah stole a kiss from Johnny Depp!

Listen here to Deborah's interview on Triple H 100.1fm on The Hubbub.

(please note the link will become inactive in about 3 months time, call 02 99403649 if you would like to listen)

The Exchange Hotel - Taste of Summer

As the mercury rises The Exchange Hotel is hotting up with the release of its new summer food and cocktail menus.

From tapas and small plates on the wrap around balcony through to smart modern Australian meals served in the grand Bistro Balmain - The Exchange has developed its food and drinks menus to perfectly compliment all dining areas of the hotel.

The menu also features the introduction of dishes incorporating a range of organic and free range chicken, beef and pork.  Head Chef Mike Page said, “People in general, but even more so in the Balmain area, like to know more about the history of what they are eating. The best thing about organic and free range produce is that it just tastes better!”

The new cocktail list is exciting and playful, combining fresh and floral summer flavours. There is a diverse range of enticing tipples that include the Elderflower Gimlet, Blood Orange Fizz, Lychee and Lavender Fix and Apricot & Saffron Sour.

“Balmain hasn’t really had much of a reputation when it comes to cocktails; our aim has been to offer people the kind of experience and drinks they previously went into the city for” - said Bar Manager and mixologist Ryan Norman, who is keen to put The Exchange on the cocktail map with his lovingly creative and downright tasty cocktails.