My initial notes for Apocalypse Cabaret are jottings, desperately trying to find sympathetic ways to describe the almost-there stage presence of the nervous, giggly figure on stage who isn’t quite landing zingers, and my recollections of the start are mostly of my sinking feeling that the next hour might consist of number after number of under-powered vocals from someone play-acting at being a lounge singer. Fear not! Without giving too much away, it’s a skilfully-executed gotcha of a set-up. Thank goodness.
The actual Scout Durwood has a lovely and versatile voice — not at all under-powered, and especially effective in conveying molten emotion in the torch songs, where Durwood brings to mind the chanteuse from Hedwig and The Angry Inch, commanding the stage in a glittery outfit and radiating deadpan wit and world-weary despair in equal measures. The background screen that displays karaoke-style lyrics projects a rain-spattered image, and, indeed, the feeling of focused intimacy is of being in a smoky dive bar late at night in a downpour while your troubled, tragic friend with a much more interesting life than you confides everything that’s been going on.
Have I mentioned the Kiwi-accented googly-eyed paper bag hand puppet yet?
Apocalypse Cabaret wants to cover a lot of things: existentialism, ennui, stories, song, deliberately bad paper bag hand puppet ventriloquism (no “gotcha” there), and aggressive audience interaction that made me thankful I was sitting in the back (consider yourselves warned). While these individual elements each succeed to differing degrees, their integration into a satisfying overarching narrative fares less well.
Durwood is a magnetic and talented storyteller, using their voice and stage presence with confidence and flair. The content of the anecdotes sometimes veers into inaccessibly personal territory, and the timings and technical aspects can be a little rough, but the underlying intentions are clear, and relatable.
Like much cabaret in the tradition of Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is, Apocalypse Cabaret wants to comment on the human condition, which is a laudable aim, but the desire is more apparent than the execution. Even without this element, though, the show offers entertainment with pleasing variety and intriguing original twists.
