Banquet Room, Fri 24 Jun.
With a reputation for risqué, rude, nude and over the top, the premise of Covered is simple – if Yana Alana sings other peoples’ songs, if the words spoken are other peoples’ words, then surely, if they go wrong, if they are too much for an audience to bare, then it is somebody else’s fault, not hers! So, the lovely double meaning in the title means that from very early on in the show, every word of carefully scripted dialogue comes complete with quote marks and the attribution.
Yana’s band, The Paranas do a fabulous job – Bec Matthews opens to the show on marimba, soon joined by Louise Goh on Piano; the marimba/piano sound combination is a delight to the ears. And though the sounds, instruments and tones may vary through the show, the aural delight continues. The musicianship is superb, oozing with plenty of heart and soul – particularly the percussion. Of course, there is no way that Yana Alana is going to let her accompaniment steal too much of the limelight, so out she comes, dressed to the nines, heels almost as long as her legs and on a raised platform – Yana demands our attention and she has the chops, the patter, the charisma, machismo… and then she sings!
From Shirley Bassey and Tom Waits to The Beatles and plenty of songwriters in-between, all gorgeously re-interpreted. But, of course, cabaret is not just singing, it’s about stringing those songs together with narrative and the premise, using other people’s words provides plenty of license for razzle and dazzle as well as to get down, dirty and in our faces. One of many stand-outs is an Alanis Morissette lyric delivered as spoken word to an audience member. It’s a rare treat and reminiscent of Peter Sellers performing of The Beatles’ lyrics as spoken word (as Dr Strangelove, Richard III etc.). Another is from Morrissey and done with enough tongue-in-cheek and pizzazz that we don’t all want to go out and slash our wrists! Done live in a cabaret setting – it’s priceless.
Yana dances, bounces and even swaggers into the audience for one of her numbers, by this time, dressing down to a T-shirt, on a solid table in crowd central for more theatrics and the bearing of her soul. By the time of the finale, an encore well-crafted and staged, complete with band walk-off, Yana desperately wanting to try out just one more outfit we’re evidently ready to be wowed with an opera tune. There is no doubt Yana can deliver, she can sing and soar, but soon decides to head elsewhere and we’re treated to Russell Morris’ The Real Thing which despite minimal accompaniment (Louise showing off her funky guitar chops by this time and Bec on percussion dancing brilliantly around this classic Aussie psychedelia) Yana simply nails it to a tee.
Cabaret doesn’t have to be European to be great. Sarah Ward as Yana Alana is a master of the art; it’s all hers and I’m very comfortable to say she’s all ours – Australian-flavoured cabaret that soars in the grit of sex, love and desire.
Clayton Werner
Yana Alana: Covered continues at Banquet Room, Adelaide Festival Centre, from 7pm until Sat 25 Jun.
Book at BASS on 131 246 and bass.net.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.
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The Clothesline Rating...
Clayton Werner
Sarah Ward as Yana Alana... Australian flavoured cabaret that soars in the grit of sex, love and desire.
