FRINGE: Cabaret – Geraldine Quinn: You’re the Voice – La Boheme – 5K

As an audience member, it’s not often that you begin a show by standing to attention and singing the National Anthem. Perhaps it should be done more frequently; it certainly seemed to get everyone into the mood for You’re the Voice.Geraldine Quinn is not afraid to show her love of the anthem in all its shapes and forms and with a voice like hers, she can do them justice.

There’s something about pop/rock anthems that gets to you; even if you generally try to steer clear of that genre of music, you just can’t seem to help singing along to a classic by Queen or Bowie. Quinn, with musical arrangements by Casey Bennetto, has put together a set list of original tracks that, while paying homage to the great anthems of pop-history, are something extra special. They are anthems for everyone, written about normal day to day experiences (at times, I was disturbed by how accurately the songs were reflecting the conversation topics my friend and I had covered over the preceding half an hour), which are seen through new eyes as their true importance is revealed by the addition of a couple of power chords and some amazing vocals.

The lyrics take you on a journey – and by journey, I mean a joy-ride that has a sudden hook-turn which lands you somewhere you were not expecting, somewhere sidesplittingly hilarious. Festival Rhapsodical is sure to be a favourite with audiences coming to the end of another packed Fringe, while Three Train Lines is a classic in waiting. Of course, Quinn isn’t just a singer, she’s a performer and between songs there’s just the right amount of self-deprecating banter to link the tunes together. Several costumes are featured throughout, with both the outfits themselves and the quick changes between being of Eurovision quality. This is a woman who understands the impact of sartorial splendour and commits to it one hundred percent.

You’re the Voice is a fantastic package of music, fun, and nostalgia, performed by one of the most talented and lamentably underappreciated comedians in Australia.

Kryztoff rating: 5K