Our local songbird Ezereve stretched her folk wings for the first time at the Fringe World Festival on 15-16 January to sold out audiences at the Irish Theatre Club of WA. Joining her in the cast of folk cabaret “I Want to F@#k With You’ also for his Fringe debut was fellow Chittering local and former student Zane Houston.
Over the two nights, they drew a large Northern Valleys presence into the audience along with the all-inclusive talented cast who proved ‘everything is possible with a little bit of sparkle and a f@#k it attitude’. Keeping with the fringe style of frivolity, they had the crowd blushing at the innuendo of songs from bygone years; giving the cast an opportunity to show audiences their naughty side.
The audience joined in with the smooth tones by vocal leads Ezereve, Stacee Parkinson and Maria Ciminata for the classic sounds of Joni Mitchell, Carol King, Dusty Springfield and from left field midway through the show, a touch of ABBA.
Zane was a hit as the antithesis to the folk genre with Take a Chance on Me and said, “This experience could not have been better! I was surrounded with a cast of caring and supportive performers and under the wing of the most amazing and creative director. It was just so fabulous and I’m grateful that I could be part of this show.”
In the post-show afterglow Ezereve said, “The highlight for me was when my agent from BBC came to watch the show and was so impressed with Stacee’s talent that she gave Stacee her card! There was so much heart and soul in the room, To receive a standing ovation from the audience was just incredible! Thank you to Sally and the amazing cast!”
Stacee has been chipping away with her singing career and said, “I got quite emotional when I was handed the business card from BBC. We both did. The show was absolutely incredible to be part of because as well as achieving my goals as a performer, I got to help others achieve theirs. It was so lovely to watch other people shine on that stage and the standing ovations and response from the audience.”
The show was presented by WA production company Lyrical Infusion’s Sally Newman who prides herself on producing shows that not only entertain at a high quality, but also support community topics such as disability awareness, homelessness and gender diversity. Ballroom Fit run by Darryl Davenport were a wonderful contributor to the dance component of the show including highly skilled wheelchair performers.
Sally said, “Even though it is my fifth year with successful Fringe Shows, this one was special. The energy that the cast gave to the audience was nothing short of magical. The audience in return gave such admiration and respect back. A truly unforgettable experience that as a director am so proud of. Lyrical Infusion is planning another all-inclusive soiree in December at the Perth Town Hall. Let’s make tomorrow more accessible for performers.”
Chittering Acres Gina Sanderson was in the audience with husband Andrew Graham for opening night and the next day posted a review to Fringe World Festival stating. “This show was so inspiring, heart lifting, inclusive and just plain wonderful. We were going to go and see other things at Fringe last night, but truly, we couldn’t top this, so we wandered about and enjoyed the afterglow. Thanks to all cast and crew. Truly one of the best shows I’ve ever seen because it was full of heart and soul and love.”
It is clear this was a folking fabulous fringe event for all involved! Transformational Coach Kerry Bilstein was also in the audience and summed it up with, “I was so absorbed in the magic and beauty and pure divine heartfelt love in the show I was whisked away to a time and world where every single person was loved, seen and celebrated for all their magnificence. It was everything you could possibly imagine to raise your spirit, thank you.”
