Review: Retail Reality at The Lark at Gluttony

A self-proclaimed glamorous bogan, Amelie Peters is a classically trained singer, international performer and accredited vocal coach who burst onto the stage with her flame hair and sequin covered curves. Just like a real-life Jessica Rabbit – but with personality and pipes!

This young cabaret diva takes us through an hour of painlessly pitched parodies, cracking covers and her own original songs interspersed with stories and anecdotes from her [agonizing] years as a retail assistant.

Let’s face it – we’ve either all been the retail worker who knows exactly what she is talking about or are the customer she’s lamenting about – either way, this show is for everyone!

With satires of ‘9 – 5’, based on the irregular working hours of retail casuals, to the Whitney Houston/ Andrea Boccelli ‘I will always love you/Time to Say Goodbye’ medley – as an ode to her finally leaving her retail job, Peters has her full voice, and acting range on display.

From a soft alto, to belting chest voice, flipping right up into the highest of opera head voices, then back down to a growl, nothing is vocally off limits for this young lady!

As she raps through the theme songs of major stores in ‘Types of Retail Stores’ to donning a wig in the hilarious ‘K.A.R.E.N’, Peters really shows us she has what it takes to be a true cabaret star.

I’ve always loved the storytelling aspect of cabaret, and Peters is a natural raconteur, moving swiftly from behind her keyboard, using props, singing about using please and thankyou with her ukulele in ‘Manners Song’ to her brilliant Christmas Medley.

This hilarious pastiche included ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas’, ‘Holy Night’, ‘Baby its cold outside’ and ‘All I want for Christmas’ in her trademark comical style, mocking last minute shoppers at the most hectic time of year.

She showed us her soulful and poignant side talking about loneliness and suicide in ‘Boxing Day’, and shared a beautiful quote once told to her ‘if only we could fix brains as easily as we fix bones’.

Ain’t that the truth…

Her grand finale ‘Don’t be a D*#k and Buy Three Things’ summed up the reality of retail and the magnitude of her talents.

On until the end of the Fringe, this local lady with an international flair is one to watch!

Lia Loves.

Reviewed on behalf of TheatreTravels.org – original article posted here