Alia Marshall
Hannah Playhouse is PACKED on this sunny Sunday afternoon, all of us excited to see An Evening Without Kate Bush (someone next to me remarks: “I guess it’s more of an afternoon without Kate Bush). This award-winning cabaret dedicated to the artist behind “Running up that Hill”, performed by Sarah-Louise Young and directed by Russell Lucas, is making a brief stop in Te Whanganui a Tara for the weekend, and we’re lucky enough to see it before it heads overseas again. I must admit, I have not listened to a lot of Kate Bush in my life - outside of the hits - so as I wait for the show to start I have no clue what to expect, but I’m hopeful that I'll leave as a dedicated fish person.
As the title suggests, Kate Bush does not make an appearance in this show, but she doesn’t have to. Rather than being about her life or her greatest hits (though there are many of those), this show is about the stories Young has collected from other fish people (the official name for Kate Bush fans, which I didn’t know until now) from all over the world about the woman herself. The stories are touching, and they remind me of how profoundly powerful a single artist can be. The opening stage picture of Young wrapped in transparent fabric with only a red light attached to her finger is something I won’t soon forget, and makes for an excellent way of transporting us into the world of Kate Bush and her fish people.
Young embodies Kate Bush masterfully, she even kind of looks like her (though, that could be the wigs). Her ability to capture the ethereal nature of Bush’s vocals is astounding. As I write this review, I’m listening to ‘Hounds of Love’ by Miss Bush herself, and I’m blown away by how well Young managed to capture her essence both vocally and physically.
Tribute shows are always really special. No matter the calibre of performance, there’s something really sweet about watching someone spend an hour talking about the artist they love the most. You can see the palpable joy in her face as she performs, the stage really is her home.
There are some incredible moments of stage magic, a few that made me audibly gasp, and a few I will definitely be taking inspiration from in my future work. The combination of clever costuming decisions and simple but effective lighting choices (Hāmi Hawkins) turns the otherwise bare stage into a rich and detailed world. And do not let me get started on those damn eyeballs.
As a regular theatre goer, I’m always willing to participate in a little bit of audience interaction. So, when Young asks if anyone is brave enough to admit they aren’t yet a member of the fish person community, I sheepishly raise my hand. Young approaches me with such warmth, as she does with every person she interacts with, and I tell her that I’m here out of curiosity, and to see whether or not I’ll be listening to any Kate Bush on my way home.
Now, I must mention the fact that we were treated to a very unique version of this show. From the beginning, there were issues with the sound, to the point where the show had to stop a few times, but Young handles these moments with such professionalism that I’m almost convinced these sound issues were actually a part of the show. I also want to give my flowers to the stage manager Will Spartalis who kept running onstage to troubleshoot on the fly. Speaking from experience, it is terrifying when unavoidable technical issues disrupt the performance, because it is so far outside of your control, however because they handled it with such confidence, this just seems like a regular day on the job for the team. This really is a testament to the old saying "the show must go on".
As I walked home, taking in the sunset, I thought about who I would write a tribute show about, given the opportunity. There are so many artists who have held my hand through difficult periods of my life, so many who have taught me more about myself than I ever could, and so many that I’ve shaken my ass to as I get ready for work, it’s difficult to choose. But if I had to, it would be a toss up between Mitski (who I feel has a lot in common with Kate) or Ethel Cain. These two artists have shaped me in the same way that Kate Bush shaped Young, and I think this show is a wonderful opportunity for anyone to reflect on the artists and the art they love the most.
An Evening Without Kate Bush is a delight. It’s like sitting down with a good friend who just wants to tell you all about the artist they love most in the world (one of life’s small joys), except that friend can also fully embody that artist for over an hour.
An Evening Without Kate Bush was on at Hannah Playhouse on the 12th and 13th of April.
Young embodies Kate Bush masterfully, she even kind of looks like her (though, that could be the wigs). Her ability to capture the ethereal nature of Bush’s vocals is astounding. As I write this review, I’m listening to ‘Hounds of Love’ by Miss Bush herself, and I’m blown away by how well Young managed to capture her essence both vocally and physically.
Tribute shows are always really special. No matter the calibre of performance, there’s something really sweet about watching someone spend an hour talking about the artist they love the most. You can see the palpable joy in her face as she performs, the stage really is her home.
There are some incredible moments of stage magic, a few that made me audibly gasp, and a few I will definitely be taking inspiration from in my future work. The combination of clever costuming decisions and simple but effective lighting choices (Hāmi Hawkins) turns the otherwise bare stage into a rich and detailed world. And do not let me get started on those damn eyeballs.
As a regular theatre goer, I’m always willing to participate in a little bit of audience interaction. So, when Young asks if anyone is brave enough to admit they aren’t yet a member of the fish person community, I sheepishly raise my hand. Young approaches me with such warmth, as she does with every person she interacts with, and I tell her that I’m here out of curiosity, and to see whether or not I’ll be listening to any Kate Bush on my way home.
Now, I must mention the fact that we were treated to a very unique version of this show. From the beginning, there were issues with the sound, to the point where the show had to stop a few times, but Young handles these moments with such professionalism that I’m almost convinced these sound issues were actually a part of the show. I also want to give my flowers to the stage manager Will Spartalis who kept running onstage to troubleshoot on the fly. Speaking from experience, it is terrifying when unavoidable technical issues disrupt the performance, because it is so far outside of your control, however because they handled it with such confidence, this just seems like a regular day on the job for the team. This really is a testament to the old saying "the show must go on".
As I walked home, taking in the sunset, I thought about who I would write a tribute show about, given the opportunity. There are so many artists who have held my hand through difficult periods of my life, so many who have taught me more about myself than I ever could, and so many that I’ve shaken my ass to as I get ready for work, it’s difficult to choose. But if I had to, it would be a toss up between Mitski (who I feel has a lot in common with Kate) or Ethel Cain. These two artists have shaped me in the same way that Kate Bush shaped Young, and I think this show is a wonderful opportunity for anyone to reflect on the artists and the art they love the most.
An Evening Without Kate Bush is a delight. It’s like sitting down with a good friend who just wants to tell you all about the artist they love most in the world (one of life’s small joys), except that friend can also fully embody that artist for over an hour.
An Evening Without Kate Bush was on at Hannah Playhouse on the 12th and 13th of April.