With the launch of the 24th Shepparton Festival just days away, here's a snapshot of the fun stuff that's heading our way during the fortnight from March 13.
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First off the cabaret rank is Women of The White House starring Shepparton's very own Sam Coats. Sam has travelled a long way since appearing in countless productions with his mother Melanie's Shepparton-based ballet academy. His new show promises plenty of singing, dancing, drag and wigs plus bags of true facts, fake news, and modern-day right-wing conservative feminism from inside the big orange world of Trump.
Sam first performed the show at Fitzroy venue Hares and Hyenas last year before taking it to the Melbourne Cabaret Fringe Festival and Tasmania's Fringe at the Edge of the World where it scored a nomination for Best Ensemble and Best Cabaret. Sam said Women of the White House promised to make cabaret great again.
Next, Blak Cabaret kicks off the start of the football/netaball season at Rumbalara Football Netball Club with a troupe of raucous indigenous comedians including Kevin Kropinyeri and Elaine Crombie. Kropinyeri is a Melbourne International Comedy Roadshow regular with a long list of Australian TV credits, while Crombie is an actress and composer. Blak Cabaret promises a night of music, laughter, dancing and good times at RFNC.
Now for something completely different: Overiacting: A Period Drama is a riotous comedy cabaret about what is normally awkward stuff — periods, endometriosis, tampons, and cranky uteruses. The show is written and performed by musical theatre actor Jamie Boiskin who was inspired by her own journey with endo and polycystic ovarian syndrome. There's also fabulous costumes, songs, props and performance art.
Apparently Overiacting is a masterclass in how to talk about bodily functions without pulling a face and resorting to tasteless cliches. Sounds exciting, dangerous and possibly educational.
Women of the Whitehouse will be performed at La Trobe University from 7 pm on Friday, March 20.
Blak Cabaret will be performed at Rumbalara Football/Netball Club from 6 pm on Saturday, March 21.
Ovariacting: A Period Drama will be performed at La Trobe University from 7 pm Thursday, March 26.
For tickets and prices, head to www.sheppartonfestival.org.au