Miss Behave’s Gameshow: High-Energy Spontaneous Hilarity and Communal Mayhem at Space Theatre – Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2016 Review

Space Theatre, Thu 16 Jun The sparkly Miss Behave and her fabulous assistant Harriet have, as they said tonight, ‘slipped in the back door of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival’. Some might wonder what a show with no live music or singing is doing in a cabaret festival, but we assume this is part of Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect vision of looking to the future of ‘What Comes Next’ and no one in the Space Theatre tonight appeared to care about defining what cabaret is as we were there to go ridiculously wild at Miss Behave’s Gameshow. In this deliberately lo-fi silly show, the audience was separated into iPhone users and ‘all other phones’ to battle against each other for game show glory. Nothing in this game show should be taken too seriously as the most inconceivably bizarre things happen, often not from Miss Behave and Harriet, but from the audience doing anything they can for points to win the daft games. Tonight there was audience members taking their clothes off and trotting across the stage, kissing the performers, sculling beer, playing harmonica and bribing with money to get frivolous points. Anything can happen! For those that cringe about audience participation and being pulled on stage, there was no need to worry as you can simply sit back quietly and watch the hilarity that spontaneously goes on around you. As the show was part of the Adelaide Fringe 2015, I believe there were many loyal fans tonight itching for the chance to jump onstage to do anything for points. It’s like almost everyone was overcome with a sense of letting go all inhibitions and any stresses of the day and to just have the best of silly insane fun. It was communal mayhem where even the normally ‘quiet ones’ shone from their seat – or on stage, if they chose to leap up there in a moment of excitement. [My face was hurting 20 minutes into the show – Ed.] Miss Behave (a.k.a. Amy Saunders) is an experienced performer and one of the founding members of award winning popular shows La Clique and then later La Soirée; she knows exactly how to excite and keep the energy exceptionally high. This is built on by her camp assistant Harriet who vigorously dances, lip-sinks and does anything for applause and cheering. If you have seen it before you probably already have your ticket. But if you haven’t, then let loose and be a part of the laughter therapy that comes with being in the presence of Miss Behave and her hilarious ‘no rules/anything goes’ Gameshow! Bobby Goudie Miss Behave’s Gameshow continues at Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, from 10pm until Sat 18 Jun. Book at BASS 131 246 or bass.net.au. Click HERE to purchase your tickets. Image courtesy of Dave Pickens Social Media: Facebook: Adelaide Cabaret Festival Twitter: @AdelaideCabaret  #AdCabFest Instagram: @AdelaideCabaret Facebook: The Clothesline – Digital Arts Magazine Twitter: @Clothesline_Mag