Above: Clare Heuston is currently presenting her cabaret ‘Personal’ at Chippen St Theatre as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival. Photo credit: Luke Travis Tuite.
Live shows and in particular those for solo cabaret efforts are a joy when nothing is predictable. When this occurs the result is instantly endearing. The message is needed. And the soundworld is an eclectic snowdome. Clare Heuston’s Sydney Fringe creation is a clever, touching cabaret that works amazingly well in this way.
Personal is full of short and even shorter gems. It is a worthwhile rollercoaster of description with an expert exploration of many compositional and performance styles.
This singer-songwriter has a magnetic stage presence and the face of a character actress. She sets her lyrics as a modern sage using a mixture of meaningful methods. These endearing, cheeky, unpredictable and accessible advice-vignettes entertain us successfully but also force us gently to think about what it is to ‘dig in’ to a life, questioning how each of us are doing with that effort.
Every song reaches us in different packaging, packing a beautiful, humanitarian and necessary punch. Each vocal offering gifts us a new timbre, degree of fullness or tinyness to suit the serious or non-cliché moment. Multimedia dependents of all ages are catered for with song titles, photos and extra-musical objéts d’what-have-you projected on a backing screen.
Above: Clare’s lyrics are available to purchase in self-published book form at this event.: ‘Personal: a one-hour summary of all our lives in song’. ISBN to follow from this book-shop-staff and special-order survivor. (More retail detail provided when you come to the show!).
So just how ‘’personal’ does Heuston’s Personal get?- I hear you all asking. Heuston’s heart rests candidly on an analytical sleeve. You could have heard a pin drop during a triptych of songs about her current relationship. As well as this support, a warm glow emanated from the audience as members followed Clare’s songs relating to scenes from childhood and beyond.
That is the same sleeve, downwards from her green veil, that explored a lifetime of growing up, environment, work, self esteem, motivation and finally, post-service surveys.
That same talented sleeve lithely played inimitable, colourful, new piano accompaniment gestures. These were heard subtly winding about the wit and emotions in an exquisite contemporary classical thread.
This show’s slick, clear, effervescent and engaging talk spots showed musical influences referenced classical vocal composers to rap, as this musician with expert comic and dramatic timing. They also told us a thing or two about the ensembles we try to perform in throughout our lives.
Above: The stage is set for this variegated, heartwarming show at the Chippen Street Theatre. The Sydney Fringe Festival run must end this Sunday September 22. Photo Credit: Luke Travis Tuite.
Clare Heuston’s greatest hits (the goosebump-inducing warm moments such as solid ballads Pearl, and More to Say) sit easily beside her xylophone-plus vocal miniatures (Carousel:Volunteer, Drag, Sinner and What We Get To Keep).
Even some modern ‘poetry’ of Gina Rinehart gets everything it deserves in a sardonic setting and precious-stone performance from Clare.
This is capable and refreshingly new cabaret. Clare’s ability to turn on an emotional two cent piece from edgy, deeply disturbing darkness followed by almost flippant (but loaded) observation then back to beautiful love songs is impressive. This cavalcade had many in the full-house crowd nodding and smiling in tune with all eighteen songs with the occasional gasp as an appreciative coda.
There is no doubt in my mind that, as the Heuston ballad is titled, this live cabaret artist has More To Say. We await future expression with pure, child-like joy similar to the anticipation of returning to a never-to-disappoint vacation destination, also touchingly described in one of many bright postcards in this show.
See this wedge of humanity-so warmly,wittily and intelligently delivered. It will help with life even after the Sydney Fringe has to finish.
‘Personal’ plays at the Chippen St theatre until Sun 22 Sep, including a matinee and evening show on Sat 21.
