Bernie Dieter’s Weimar Punk

An hour with Bernie Dieter is just not enough!!!

To present Bernie Dieter’s Weimar Punk the Adelaide Festival Theatre Banquet Room is transformed into a Berlin nightclub; sleezy, complete with a mirror ball, red neon “Berlin” sign, a dressing table and costume rack.

Performers wander the space before the performance chatting to each other and the audience, Bernie herself primping at the mirror and asking an audience member to help her with her costume. She looks not unlike Columbia from The Rocky Horror Show as played by Little Nell. In fact, the whole show has overtones of the cult musical/movie.

After an acknowledgement to country, the band begins the avalanche of the first number with Bernie front and centre in a froth of voile, glitz and feathers! My only reservation with this production is the balance of instruments to vocals. On the night I reviewed, the drums overshadowed Bernie’s vocals in the big numbers.

This, however, is a minor criticism in what is a close to perfect production. Bernie has a way of relating to the audience that makes you feel she is talking directly to you and taking you into her confidence.

She takes us on a journey to Germany where she spent a lot of her childhood with her grandmother or Oma and parents who owned a circus.

Stories abound, interlaced with songs and audience participation. Bernie goes further than any other cabaret performer I have seen, standing astride a member of the audience, asking audience members to touch her and being carried back to the stage by three men while still singing!

Highlights of the night include her tribute the Marlene Dietrich, the ultimate chanteuse. Singing one of Dietrich’s lesser-known songs, ‘Ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin’. She is backed by a lone piano, inhabits Marlene and makes the moment unique. She also performs a tribute to Billy Idol (her Oma’s favourite singer) singing ‘Rebel Yell”.

The story of Bernie’s christening video is the comedy climax of the evening, not so much the recording of the christening, but what it is recorded over. Naturally I will not reveal the surprise, suffice to say, the revelation was the hit of the evening!

What sets this production apart is the way it relates with the audience. Bernie and her extremely talented 4-piece band make us feel special, that we are part of a select audience. At the end of the short 60 minutes Bernie removes her wig and we are treated to the woman behind the performer. It is a special  moment. She also makes herself available in the foyer to chat afterwards.

Bernie Dieter’s Weimar Punk is not so much a show as an experience!

Barry Hill

Photographer: Claudio Raschella