Meow Meow swings, struts, swims and crowd surfs Photo: Prudence Upton
There’s a very good reason Meow Meow’s shows sell out so quickly: she’s indisputably fabulous. Her latest show, Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid, which premiered at this year’s Sydney Festival, delights audiences with another impeccable virtuoso performance that doesn’t miss a beat.
Part 2 of the “Little” trilogy – following the successful Meow Meow’s Little Match Girl of 2011 – this show is a hilarious but thoughtful diatribe on love, a reminder that hope springs eternal and life without love is not a good option.
Meow Meow (Melissa Madden Gray) takes the stage telling the audience “this is a show about happiness” and insisting that “it’s a wonderful, wonderful life”. Problem is she’s crying as she says it.
Meow Meow introduces her younger “more accommodating” self Photo: Prudence Upton
In the 70 minutes that follow, the cabaret temptress uses every marine prop and pun imaginable as she delivers a treatise on the nature of “flove” pondering that “Love is like a bubble” and in the end “you’re left with nothing but a sticky residue”.
The Siren Effect Orchestra, a great ensemble on keyboard, double bass, sousaphone, cello and accordion, is on stage throughout the show playing a delightful score of original songs by Megan Washington, Kate Miller-Heidke, Amanda Palmer Jherek Bischoff and Iain Grandage, guided by musical director Jethro Woodward. These songs beautifully enhance the intimate chats with her audience, both lyrically and musically.
Meo Meow even sings in “dolphin” which brings the house down.
But among the laughs in this parody of Hans Christian Anderson’s tale of teen love and self-sacrifice, there is an invitation to contemplate the serious side of love and the impact of our unrealistic expectations. This is most hilariously evident as she sings thoughtfully about love while teetering around the stage with a ballet slipper on one foot and a high- heeled stiletto on the other. Somehow this contradiction manages to “balance” both the power and frailty of love.
Chris Ryan is the fantasy man “coming out if his shell” Photo: Prudence Upton
Under Michael Kantor’s tight direction the show is faultless: the clever puns keep coming delivered with faultless comic timing; even the audience participation works.
Anna Cordingley’s set and costume designs are fabulous, Paul Jackson’s lighting design is spectacular, the songs are catchy, the lyrics are witty and Meow Meow holds the audience in the palm of her hand, even as she dives into the crowd for a bit of a surf held aloft by willing hands.
This cabaret performer has stage presence to spare and a powerful voice in full flight. She is almost matched but certainly not overshadowed by her fantasy man, Chris Ryan, who is a perfect foil for her water-sodden but sexy insecure temptress. His voice when he lets loose is powerful and he helps to delineate the unrealistic expectations of love.
Catch this show. You will not be disappointed.
Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid, a Malthouse Theatre and Sydney Festival production, is at the Sydney Festival Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent until January 23 before travelling to Melbourne and Perth.
Melbourne
Malthouse Theatre, Merlyn Theatre
28 Jan – 14 Feb 2016
Bookings: http://malthousetheatre.com.au/tickets/buy-tickets
Perth
Perth International Arts Festival, Octagon Theatre UWA
Wednesday 24 – Sunday 28 Feb 2016
Bookings and info perthfestival.com.au
