Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age

Alan Cumming is not acting his age… and he is proud of it.

This year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival has been treated to the imagination and brilliance of Alan Cumming as Artistic Director. During the Festival we have seen glimpses of his creativity and daring through the choices he has made for the programme, and delightfully, his show Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age was another chance to experience the eclectic talent that is this man.

Alan Cumming is described in many biographies and reviews as impish, puckish, diminutive; but there is nothing ‘small’ about this man. He is larger than life. His joy for embracing every moment and indulging his passions is overt and he immediately becomes the famous person you want to invite to your dinner party.

His talents seem endless. From harsh beginnings in north-east Scotland, he has become one of the world’s most famous cabaret stars. His toolkit contains many films, live theatre performances, and awards - too many to name here. He has written books, even for children, and is one of the wisest raconteurs I have ever had the pleasure of ‘spending’ an evening with.

Bursting onto the stage, dressed in an outfit reminiscent of Angus Young from AC/DC, Cumming immediately draws us in with a rendition of ‘But Alive’ from the musical Applause. This is then followed by wonderful storytelling. This Scot certainly knows how to talk and spin a story, but it isn’t ‘haver’; there is purpose and meaning in his words, and even when comic, there is depth and wisdom borne of experience. This experience, as we hear, has not always been smooth, as Cumming recounts tales of many lost relationships and difficulties through which he has forged.

Throughout the night we are treated to his beautiful voice in an diverse but well-chosen range of songs woven together by clever banter. He has an enormous belt, but we also hear the lilt of his accent throughout. He is accompanied by a superb four-piece band who do not miss a beat. He tells us about his joy for flying long haul flights and how this involves his two favourite things in life ‘alcohol and lying down’. He pokes fun at Australia’s slow uptake on vaccinations, suggesting we have a ‘conversation after the show’ with our Premier in the audience, and demonstrates his passion for social justice, time and time again, in his stories.

He shares wonderful tales with us about his bar in New York - Club Cumming - his encounters with celebrities, and how he loves that city, now his home. At the same time, we also feel that he is sincere in his comments about loving Adelaide and that being here for this Festival is important to him. Much of his storytelling is done as interjections between parts of a song which gives a fluidity to the show: ‘Is That All There Is?’ - made famous by Peggy Lee, being one example.

Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age is a comic and clever discussion through song and conversation about aging. Cumming discusses our societal concern over needing to act our age, appearing a certain way, modifying ourselves to be young. He talks of wisdom, which he cleverly explains is the ability to see repeating patterns and change our behaviours accordingly, and joyfully lauds ongoing learning: it’s a two-way street, we can learn from the young. He has even written a song about plastic surgery, which he performs beautifully, truly cutting like a knife when we think of the implications of the pursuit of youth.

He is proud to be nearing 60 and his life experiences have shaped who he is. He roils at the ‘judgy people with tight sphincters’ who get to tell us how we should behave and encourages us to embrace ourselves as we grow older, reminding us that ‘life is but a short walk towards death’.

His show covers a wide range of topics: sex, relationships, celebrity and of course death - an event he is well prepared for as long as someone passes him a champagne just before he pops off the mortal coil.

This show is a rollercoaster of emotions; it is joyful, hilarious and poignant. There are a wide range of songs from very different genres and time frames – ‘Maybe This Time’ and ‘It Was a Good Time’, both made famous by Liza Minnelli, were two highlights. There was even a Disney Princess medley - but this IS Alan Cumming - and a princess medley is perfectly fitting!

Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age certainly is wonderful, but also a wake-up call to us all to grab life and enjoy every moment. Life has its bumps along the way, but we only get one chance at it, we need to embrace all of our experiences, and be who we are. The powerhouse talent that is Alan Cumming seems endless and his zest for life is an inspiration. This is an absolutely brilliant, not to be missed, piece of theatre.

Shelley Hampton

Photographer: Claudio Raschella

Read more Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2021 reviews