Sophie deLightful has written and performed the second show in her cabaret series as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival. Following her premiere at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in February, the Melbournian artist is back at La Boheme with even more fire and sass.
As patrons entered the Cabinet Room they were greeted by the ragtime piano of Alex Smallgood. DeLightful entered the room looking dazzling and singing soulfully. Her presence was slightly tainted by Smallgood’s awkard departure from the stage and no obvious change in lighting to signal the top of the show. Nevertheless, she quickly settled her audience with a passionate spoken word poetry and explained the concept of her cabaret.
Her repertoire was carefully selected to support stories and social commentary. The songs were a mixture of musical theatre, soul, funk, and pop and they showcased her stunning and heartfelt voice. The lyrics were reworked to complement her narrative and I particularly enjoyed her rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. The highlight of her performance was “Love the Way You Lie” which was outstanding. It featured deLightful’s talents in fire-breathing while singing. She also does justice to Joss Stone which is another tick in my book.
A consumate cabaret artist knows how to connect with an audience and deLightful’s authentic conversation had the right blend of humour and heartache, delivered with class. She won her audience over with excellent interaction and integrity. Her energy is infectious and her message is empowering.
Her powerful yet nuanced voice is deserving of live piano accompaniment throughout. Slight audio technicalities disrupted my enjoyment of the music. Regardless, deLightful has delivered on this second chapter of the Power Pussy series and if her latest show is anything to go by, then future additions to her cabaret series are promising.
Reviewed performance: Wednesday 6 June, 2018
Season: until Sunday 10 June, 2018
Venue: La Boheme
Rating: ☆☆☆☆1/2
