Paul Capsis

Paul Capsis is an Australian ‘living legend’ with an extraordinary career as a performing artist and actor that spans decades. He has performed in Australia and overseas, winning numerous awards including four Helpmann Awards and a Green Room Award. He was also nominated for an AFI Award for his performance in Anna Kokkinos’ 1998 film Head On.

This performance marks his return to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival after an absence of five years – sort of. Paul Capsis was also part of the cast of Windmill Theatre’s Rumplestiltskin that was performed last year in Adelaide and the U.K.

Wearing a voluminous head-dress and coat, which he later told us were made from carpets his mother once owned, Paul Capsis staggered to the front of The Famous Spielgeltent stage and with Jethro Woodward and the Fitzroy Youth Orchestra launched into a blistering version of Skyhook’s “Ego Is Not A Dirty Word”.

He then surprised his fans in the packed audience by ‘talking’ to the audience. This was unusual. However, as he later relayed, his appearance at this year’s festival was predicated on an instruction by Julia Zemiro that he must ‘talk’ to the audience. Paul Capsis’ ‘talking to the audience’ was hilarious. His sardonic wit and humour was given full force, adding to the enjoyment of the evening.

It is, however, Paul Capsis’ unique theatrical takes on ‘standards’ from the world of rock, jazz, and pop that make him so engaging and thrilling to watch. This was exemplified by the versions of Sonny Bono’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”, Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black”, and John Fogerty’s “Proud Mary” – all wonderful.

Whilst this show was mostly comprised of popular ‘standards’, nonetheless, there were also a couple of relatively recent new works, including a song from Tom Waits’ and William S. Burroughs’ 1990 ‘musical fable’ The Black Rider, in which Paul Capsis performed in Sydney in 2017.

The performance climaxed with Jerry Ragovoy’s and Bert Berns’ “Piece of My Heart”(the Janis Joplin version), which had the audience on its feet clapping and cheering. The encore was even better – Nina Simone’s version of Anthony Newley’s and Leslie Bricusse’s “Feelin’ Good”, which was written for the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd.

This song, aswell as the one from The Black Rider were the only ones that came from the world of music theatre – the rest was primarily from ‘rock and roll’. It is, however, Paul Capsis’ theatrical interpretations and charismatic presence – part-diva and part-punk-rock-artist – that make him such an exciting performer. Whilst he may have lied a little in regard to his age (he is older – sorry, Paul), nonetheless, he has maintained and delivered so many top-class performances like this one.

In his unique and wonderful way (including his impressive mane of black hair) he really is totally deserving of being called a ‘living legend’ in the Australian performing arts.

Tony Knight

Photographer: Mandy Hall

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