Festival Cabaret

Press, 5 March 1984, Page 8

Festival Cabaret

The Festival Cabaret, presented by the Christchurch Festival, at the Town Hall Limes Room, March 3 to 17, from 9.30 p.m. Reviewed by Philip Norman. Five bewildered-looking gentlemen under the collective name of Polyphony tiptoed their way into the Limes Room on Saturday evening. “Sweet sixteen” they stammered, “Aussie barbeque” they drawled midst buzzing of flies, voices punching out harmonies of amazing depth and complexity. A 50-minute display of unaccompanied vocal gymnastics, facial contortions, body gyrations, and decidedly off-beat humour was under way; with its first featured act, the Festival

Cabaret had begun. Highlights of the Mel-bourne-based group’s acts were a melodramatic “Delilah” and a punk rock “Yesterday.” In both these, Polyphony ripped the body of the originals wide open, ransacked the innards, and carelessly stitched the remains to create musical mutants that were monstrously comic. If the skilled and thoroughly polished performance of Polyphony is any indication, the Festival Cabaret promises to be a source of quality entertainment throughout the ensuing fortnight. The transformed Limes Room, with the aid of bold and colourful backdrop panels designed by Rudolf Boelee, discreet lighting, and a well adorned stage

that juts rakishly into an audience seated round tables, captures the atmosphere of a thriving night club.

A resident jazz quartet of Jonathan Tabemer (piano), Paul Rainey (saxophone), Ted Meager (drums), and Tom Rainey (bass) helps keep enthusiasm on the boil before and after the appearance, from 11 p.m., of the featured artist or group. This quartet puts forth a lively, tight sound, worth listening to closely. This was fortunate, for the high volume of the quartet on Saturday evening limited conversation to shouts and semaphore. The affable master of ceremonies for the cabaret is David Copeland.