Reuben Kaye: The Party’s Over

“Face the oncoming apocalypse with a drink in your hand. If we’re going down, then let’s go down swinging.” This is the invitation extended by Kaye who is renowned for his sharp, witty and often provocative humour. Kaye is not afraid to touch on political issues, in fact, he unabashedly addresses the absence of genuine and visionary leadership and the current tendency to resort to spreading fear and hatred. After a sweeping overview of the very sad and sorry state of global affairs he sets the stage for a very bleak future, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community. As a gay man and a drag artist, this is clearly a very personal issue for him. As he shares his subjection to a variety of forms of digital and real hostility (including threats to himself, his family and work colleagues) the scale of the problem becomes alarmingly clear.

However, Kaye urges his audience not to give into despair. For Kaye transforming this hatred into wry humour and a force of resistance comes ever so naturally. His routine exposes the bigotry and prejudice behind sentiments of homophobia or transphobia and gives the audience a space to fight back with wry, shrewd and stinging humour. His routine shows moments of sheer brilliance and is delivered with all the grandeur, panache and glamour of the cabaret tradition. Backed by a sensational band, his artistry is truly awesome. His stage presence is incredibly captivating as he charms, beguiles and often ruthlessly toys with his audience. Kaye takes a break from his role in Jesus Christ Superstar to appear in the Comedy Festival and is relishing the opportunity to unleash his unique and powerful brand of comedy-cabaret.

Patricia Di Risio