Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2021 Program Released
South Australia’s most loved winter event, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, is back this June and is turning the spotlight on Australia’s best, brightest, and boldest performers, with the full line-up announced on sale today.
Established in 2001 and the biggest cabaret festival in the world, Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival is a major event in the international and Australian arts calendar.
Love letter to Australia
In what is a largely Aussie line-up, Tony Award winning Hollywood actor and cabaret king, Alan Cumming, presents the 2021 program as his personal “love letter” to Australia. One of the program highlights, announced in November ahead of today’s full program release, will be the world premiere of the artistic director’s own new show, Alan Cumming is Not Acting His Age.
180+ artists in 105 performances at Cab Fest
Following last year’s online offering, the 2021 festival returns to Adelaide Festival Centre and stars more than 180 artists in 105 performances over 12 glittering days and nights.
Showcasing classic and contemporary cabaret with a touch of nostalgia, the 21st program features 10 world premieres, 4 Australian premieres and 10 Adelaide exclusives by a large contingent of Australian artists and performers from the USA, and Canada.
Festival favourites, Australian Indigenous music and strong female voices
Festival favourite Eddie Perfect returns with the Adelaide Premiere of his latest show Eddie Perfect – Introspective, and in a special concert, Australia’s next generation of First Nations artists will perform in Deadly Hearts – celebrating Australian Indigenous music.
Some of Australia’s strongest female voices, Tania Doko, Emma Pask and Prinnie Stevens (pictured) will pay tribute to history’s great female artists in Hear Me Roar – Unplugged, and headliner show Songs of Don will rock the Festival Theatre celebrating the work of legendary Australian songwriter Don Walker – best known as the main songwriter for Cold Chisel.
Powerhouse vocalists Katie Noonan, Clare Bowditch, Emma Donovan and Sarah Mcleod will belt out reimagined versions of iconic songs including ‘Khe Sanh,’ ‘Saturday Night’, ‘Cheap Wine’ and ‘Standing on the Outside’.
RocKwiz returns
After a sell-out show in 2019, RocKwiz returns to the Festival Theatre, this time saluting Eurovision, with host and former festival Artistic Director Julia Zemiro alongside Brian Nankervis and special guests including Alan Cumming himself.
Young Talent Time 50th Anniversary
In a nod to nostalgia, Young Talent Time 50th Anniversary Reunion Special will make its world premiere at Adelaide Cabaret Festival in the Festival Theatre on Saturday, 19 June with Johnny Young himself hosting the show. 2021 marks the 50th Anniversary of the first ever performances of the hit Aussie TV show that made household names out of dozens of young artists. Alumni including Beven Addinsall, Karen Knowles, Jane Scali, Philip Gould, Steven Zammit, Joey Dee and Derek Redfern will grace the stage and relive the magic of YTT for one night only.
A taster of the full line up was teased in November 2020, with the first six shows announced including the Adelaide Cabaret Festival Variety Gala (hosted by Hans), L’Hôtel, an immersive main event that will run throughout the first two weeks of the festival, and award-winning cabaret artist Selina Jenkins presenting her show ‘BOOBS’.
Largest Cabaret Festival in the world
Produced and presented by Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Cabaret Festival has grown from modest beginnings in 2001 to become Australia’s major winter festival and the largest cabaret festival in the world.
The festival has been a platform for shows and performers who have achieved critical acclaim and featured world-renowned artists including Ms Lisa Fischer, Kristen Chenoworth, Idina Menzel, Dita Von Teese and Patti Lupone to name a few.
For full program and tickets:
