What happens when a group of neurodiverse performers create a cabaret about love? You get grungy ballads, online dating disasters, lovelorn vampires, original music, powerful storytelling and a whole lot of heart.
FUSE Magazine sat down with the incredible Strangeways Ensemble ahead of their latest production to talk about friendship, creativity, finding family through theatre, and why cabaret remains such a powerful space for neurodiverse and LGBTQIA+ voices.
"We present an unfiltered view into our lives and try to be as unapologetically 'us' as we can."
Read along as we discover why The Strangeways Cabaret promises to be surreal, energising and unforgettable.
FUSE : Could you please share a bit about the cabaret and the ensemble? Who are some of the actors and musicians we can look forward to seeing?
From Christian Tagliaferro (ensemble member): The Strangeways Ensemble is a group of neurodiverse friends that share a common love of performing and live theatre. The cabaret is a collection of pieces that explore our own real experiences of love in all its forms.
You can expect to hear the moving poetry of Ethan Arnold, experience the charismatic aura of Ethan Green and be bounced between music genres by the Ensemble while being supported by the Strangeways Cabaret band.
How does everyone get on behind the scenes?
From Christian Tagliaferro (ensemble member): We are all genuinely friends behind the scenes. You can even go as far as to say we are each other's second family. We have in-jokes and poke fun at each other now and again, but when things get tough, we are always there to support one another, and we take care of each other.
Do they have rituals for getting ready?
From Christian Tagliaferro (ensemble member): To prepare for a performance, we generally start with basic physical stretches. We follow that up with vocal warm-ups, typically including 1 or 2 tongue twisters. We conclude the ritual with a focusing game called 21. In this game, the aim is to count to 21.
However, we randomly take turns counting, and we can not say the same number at the same time, otherwise the count resets back to 1. It is a fantastic way to focus and sync up as a group. Personally, during the lead-up to a performance, I use music to help get into the right mindset. This can take the form of curating a bespoke playlist based on the character/s I play or the general vibe of a show. Alternatively, it can be listening to an album on repeat that I feel matches the show.
Cabaret has a long history of being a safe, radical space for marginalised communities. What makes the cabaret format specifically such a powerful tool for neurodiverse and LGBTQIA+ storytelling
From Jordan Bowater (ensemble member): The theatre and the arts have always been a refuge for people like us in our communities, because, I think, of the format in which it exists. By having small, interconnected acts, I feel the creativity and soul of the performer come out more. As cabaret is by its nature an intimate art form, in space and genre, it allows for stories to be absorbed more fully.
The Strangeways Cabaret explores love in all its messy, joyful forms, from online dating to lovelorn vampires. Why did the ensemble choose "love" as the central anchor for this touring show?
From Anne-Louise Rentell (The Strangeways Ensemble Director): Back in 2016, we ran a songwriting workshop with Musical Director Daryl Wallis in which participants wrote original songs on the theme of love. This workshop turned into a show called The Outside Man, which was also the beginning of The Strangeways Ensemble.
Ten years later, we wanted to create a cabaret that revisited these songs and added to the repertoire with more original takes on our individual experiences of love, reflecting where we are in the world and where we have come from as an ensemble. Needless to say, it's a bit darker and grungier than it was a decade ago - but still fun!
How did they bring the show together? Tell me a bit about the writing process.
From Anne-Louise Rentell (The Strangeways Ensemble Director): originally, we shared our own stories and experiences of love (romantic, familial, dangerous), then we worked on either getting some lyrics down on the page or improvising our stories to music and then writing the lyrics from there. Our Musical Director Daryl Wallis has been integral to this process, opening up the space for individual ensemble members to find their voice and to tell their story their way.
What is your favourite love story?
From Christian Tagliaferro (ensemble member): My personal favourite love story at the moment is a toss-up between two unconventional stories. The first is the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc movie. Based on the manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, it is a wild and out-there concept backed by a doomed yet emotional romance between the film's protagonist and antagonist.
The second (although cheating slightly) is the main romance in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Based on the video game Cyberpunk 2077, the show's romance between the protagonist and deuteragonist connected strongly with me and left an unforgettable impact with a bittersweet conclusion.
From Jordan Bowater (ensemble member): This may sound odd, but the 2006 film "Candy", with Heath Ledger and Abbey Cornish, is probably mine. Love is sometimes a journey that doesn't have the ending you wanted at the start, but often gives you the ending you needed.
What do you hope the audience walks away feeling or thinking after the final curtain at The Q?
From Jordan Bowater (ensemble member): Honestly, as long as people who see our show are entertained, I feel like I've done my job.
If you could describe the overall vibe of The Strangeways Cabaret in just three words, what would they be?
From Christian Tagliaferro (ensemble member): Surreal, energising and fun
From Jordan Bowater (ensemble member): I think the name says it all, we are "strange", I feel that word stirs certain emotions, but also we are "creative", often telling stories you wouldn't think we would pivot to. But I think the most defining word would be "us", we present an unfiltered view into our lives and try to be as unapologetically "us" as we can.
Presented by The Q and Merrigong Theatre Company. Don't miss The Strangeways Cabaret at The Q Theatre on 4 July.
