★★★★
“Fighting the power / Never tasted so sweet…”
Such is one of many call-and-response moments from cabaret extravaganza Hot Brown Honey, though in terms of theme you’d be hard-pressed to find another quite as fitting. Sure, we may ostensibly be gathered here for a night of song, style and burlesque (though the production is more cheeky than debauched), and in this regard the Adelaide-based troupe leaves no stone unturned. But this is theatre with a pulsing political heart, determined to engage our gender, racial and intellectual assumptions as much as entertain us.
As a result of this, while the show is undeniably affecting and entertaining, it’s difficult to describe. If this were an evening of stand-alone vignettes, each presenting a sometimes hilarious, sometimes harrowing window into stereotypes, exploitation, violence and empowerment, it would perhaps make more sense. By attempting to stitch each performance into an overarching narrative – a kind of cosmic beehive decrying how cold and cynical the world has become – you start anticipating a loose plot where there is none. Indeed, for its many strengths, when the show concludes it does so inelegantly, not so much finishing as running out of breath.
These structural hiccups, however, are the sole criticisms from the night. The sheer scope of talent from these performers is remarkable: from hip hop and beatboxing to hula hoops, striptease and poetry, each segment is uniquely mesmerising and challenging. It would do the show a disservice to divulge in detail what to expect – part of the thrill is finding yourself presented with a familiar and/or stereotypical cultural image, only to have it dismantled before your eyes. But Lisa Fa’alafi‘s Coconut Woman routine deserves particular mention (for the gusto of her performance, certainly, but also for the grand mutability of her costume), as does what is perhaps Hot Brown Honey’s powerful, confronting highlight: the aerial dance of Crystal Stacey‘s assault victim.
As MC Busty Beatz, Kim Bowers has one of the most entertaining jobs out there, presiding over a motley crew of singers, dancers and acrobats, and doing so with great panache. She has referred to the production as political theatre in disguise, though by the end of the night such a disguise is no longer needed. The anti-racist, feminist messages of the show have been writ in bold, and it is a rare audience who will remain unmoved by this entertaining and vital performance.
Photo: Anna Kucera
Hot Brown Honey was reviewed at The Studio, Sydney Opera House on Wednesday June 22.
