Bigger & Blacker

Steven Oliver is a born showman. The hometown crowd at La Boite theatre couldn’t have been more excited on opening night to welcome him back at the Roundhouse Theatre. Everyone was itching to see him sing some songs, tell some stories and shake his bum.

Accompanied by musical director Michael Griffiths, Steven sings us a variety of songs he’s written over the years, that tell his story. His experiences as a gay indigenous man – a minority in a minority as he put it – are funny, poignant, insightful and oh so relatable. He has charisma to burn and a cheeky smile that lets him get away with some of the more risqué humour without upsetting the audience’s sensibilities.

Fans of his hit TV show on the ABC Black Comedy may be expecting non-stop laughs. This is a chance for Oliver to let his serious side show and he’s grabbed it with both hands. While he does ease the fans into the cabaret performance with lots of laughs, he quickly switches gear to present moving tales of unrequited love, disillusionment with fame, and rally cries against oppression. When things get too sad, he throws in some funny and energetic moments to give the show light and shade. He also offers us a fascinating insight into indigenous culture, slang and family ties.

Musical genres cross rap, funk, pop, soul and torch song. Both Oliver and Griffiths make the task of performing them seem effortless, which is always the way with a well-rehearsed show that’s presented by consummate professionals. Their singing is on point, harmonies are lovely, Oliver’s dancing is great and the piano playing by Griffiths is without error. The banter between the long-time friends is fun and you really feel a warm kinship between the two. It’s rare to see performers open up so honestly to the audience, to be so vulnerable in one moment and fabulously sexy and confident in another.

Kevin O’Brien’s set design incorporates big, bright, bold primary-coloured streamers, and a homely hutch, table and chair area where Oliver can chat intimately between tracks. Lighting design by Chloe Ogilvie is excellent at setting the mood and focus for each segment of the show. Oliver and Griffiths thrive under Isaac Drandic’s direction which allows them to show off their many talents – music, comedy, dance and even a little improvised audience interaction.

As Oliver describes it, this is a Faboriginal Fabaret show. So, if you’re looking for fabulous home-grown entertainment, Bigger & Blacker is just the ticket.

Kitty Goodall

Photographs by Dylan Evans Photography