Rhonda Burchmore: Vinyl Viagra – Adelaide Cabaret Festival Review

Dunstan Playhouse, Fri Jun 6 Rhonda Burchmore’s alter ego, Ruda Brickmore wowed the Adelaide audience on her opening night of Vinyl Viagra at the Dunstan Playhouse. From the get go the audience was titillated by her take on the hits made famous by history’s greatest sirens. Ruda took us on a journey from Sophie Tucker to Lady Gaga with a little Cher in between. Her electric stage presence was evident as she moved through the decades making every song her own, especially when her inner “Barbie Girl” came out to play. The audience feasted not only on fantastic vocals but delicious costume changes bringing new levels of sass. Each change revealed another layer to Australia’s Rhonda Burchmore that most audiences have not seen before. “Rhonda after dark” shared her “dirty little secret” and the crowd loved every minute of it. Burchmore was well supported by Ruda’s Raunchy Quintet of talented musicians led by Matty Frank. Her ‘boys on the side’, aptly named The Rudets, provided the perfect amount of eye candy whilst performing impressive choreography. Burchmore not only impressed vocally but displayed her comedic talent often making the audience blush at least 50 shades of Viagra blue. Totally unflappable herself, she didn’t let minor technical difficulties dampen the performance, which is a testament to her professionalism. A key theme running throughout was The Diva’s fear of one day becoming invisible and the pressure to remain sexy, beautiful and relevant as they age – a sentiment that was clearly appreciated by all. Vinyl Viagra is a tribute to her staying power and is certain to continue exciting her audiences. In her own words, there’s no doubt that Ruda Brickmore is “naughtier than Rhonda Burchmore ever is”. By Hannah van Heerde Rhonda Burchmore performs Vinyl Viagra at Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, until Sun Jun 8.