Apocalypse Meow: Crisis is Born

Cabaret performer extraordinaire Meow Meow (Melissa Madden Gray) returns to home territory and graces the stage at the Malthouse with her extremely endearing wit and charm. Her subversive approach to the silly season is highly irreverent and somewhat sacrilegious, and this merely adds to the festive mood. 

Meow Meow is infamous for her original approach to cabaret. Although there is a clear Weimar influence in her persona, she takes the jaded and acerbic aspects to their absolute limits and this is simply hysterical. She conjures Christmas imagery from the most unexpected places and is totally unapologetic for her libertarian and laissez-faire attitude. In fact, she thrives on this.

Exceptional live music is provided by her talented and very obedient musicians. A guest appearance by Michaela Burger helped deliver some wonderfully amusing antics. Meow Meow revels in breaking the barrier of the fourth wall and her infiltrations into the audience is where her daring is most unpredictable and bizarre. 

The stage design emulates a building site and playfully reflects the apocalyptic mood of the show. The lead up to Christmas can undoubtedly feel like a looming disaster and this is combatted with an incongruous combination of cheeky parody and moving Christmas themed music. The humour appears spontaneous and improvised but Meow Meow is clearly practiced at her highly original art form.

The highlights of the show are undoubtedly her songs which are seductive and spellbinding. The antics that accompany them are clever and entertaining, but the show does leave you with the desire to hear more of her unadulterated music and singing.

Patricia Di Risio

Photographer: Pia Johnson