Dont eat the Cardboard

an article I wrote for ART MONTHLY —Juart-monthly-june-09-editorial2-art-monthly-june-091ne 2009

Cabaret —09 Opening

What a sense of occasion —  a sparkling cocktail of glamour, kitsch,decadence and glitz descended upon the Festival Centre tonight. Down the red carpet they strode, they whooped, they waved and froze for the cameras. Everyone who was anyone seemed to sweep down that carpet. –Anne Wills-flashy but tastefully showy in gold draped around Bob Downe in his army costume-Carol Whitelock, Jane Doyle-all velevety and looking a million dollars–and Oh those shoes ! —a few envious

What a sense of occasion —  a sparkling cocktail of glamour, kitsch,decadence and glitz descended upon the Festival Centre tonight. Down the red carpet they strode, they whooped, they waved and froze for the cameras. Everyone who was anyone seemed to sweep down that carpet. –Anne Wills-flashy but tastefully showy in gold draped around Bob Downe in his army costume- a Carol Whitelock, Jane Doyle-all velevety and looking a million dollars–and Oh those shoes ! — a few envious murmurs from the girls around me. The Father of the Fringe and Cabaret Festivals, Frank Ford-resplendent in a white tux, a sylphed down Magda Szubanski in a fitted red cocktail outfit, a dashing Nick Christo alias Frances Faye, John Bucchino, Adelaide’s own stylish nice guy Hugh Sheridan, Amber Petty of Princess Mary fame -and the irrepressible 84 year old Julie Wilson with a gaggle of glamorous gals-and then the man of the moment himself -Director David Campbell, all decked out in a gold sequined jacket with his gorgeous wife. Politicians, The Governor and his wife- it was the night of nights– the Festival Centre bathed in glorious lights amid the welcome winter rain-surely this was the taste of things to come -3 weeks of the World’s best, biggest and most original Cabaret Festival.

Dennis Coleman