Carla Lippis – Cast A Dark Shadow: Dark, Unorthodox And Evocative ~ Adelaide Cabaret Festival Review            

[UNITED KINGDOM/AUSTRALIA ~ AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE] Festival Theatre Stage, Fri 15 Jun. Carla Lippis is happy to be back in Adelaide casting a deliciously dark shadow over this year’s Cabaret Festival. Arriving onstage in super slinky black with a slash of nuclear red lipstick, Lippis presented ‘scary’ as the ‘new sexy’ in fabulous style. To those unfamiliar with old school rock/grunge, many of the classics Lippis performed would be unrecognisable, her interpretation twisting and reshaping songs such as Nirvana’s Lithium and Roy Orbison’s In Dreams with a set of vocals that defy imagination. Lippis can soar to the heavens with her superb voice and then effortlessly descend into a darker, sexier place with rumbling snarls and husky nuances that straddle the scary/sexy line beautifully. Lippis performs many original songs as well – her ode to Johnny Rotten’s softer side (You’ll Heal This Rotten Heart) a wonderful showcase of her song writing talents. Onstage she works hard and it is impossible to look away as she delivers every note with serious gusto. Band members also worked hard with Geoff Crowther firing up on guitar, Alana Dawes on seriously groovy bass, Jarrod Page on a thumping drum and Victoria Falconer captivating the crowd on piano and an astonishing theremin solo. The highlight for me was experiencing Lippis’ amazing arrangement of Cher’s Bang Bang, as the show’s encore piece. Dripping with passion, this was a true showstopper. Arresting originals, deliciously different covers and a superb band, Carla Lippis casts a sensational shadow – just don’t expect to recognise your favourite songs. 4 stars Rosie van Heerde Carla Lippis – Cast A Dark Shadow continues at Festival Theatre Stage, Adelaide Festival Centre, from 9pm on Sat 16 Jun. Book at BASS on 131 246 and bass.net.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. #AdCabFest #AdelaideFesCent adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au