Lauderdale House’s Christmas Cabaret Ding-Dong, concluding their current cabaret season, did exactly what it said on the tin, delivering classy cabaret together with a heavy dose of seasonal silliness. The cabaret portions of the afternoon showcased the talents of Helena Blackman, Nancy Sullivan and Emma Odell, while the other performers donned Santa outfits, elf hats and fairy wings to bring us a series of Christmas surprises. An eclectic blend of music, comedy and festive cheer, this performance was an enjoyable winter warmer to kick off the Christmas season.
Katie Ventress and Ellen Verenieks, responsible for compiling and directing this festive treat, introduced more than a hint of pantomime to the traditional cabaret format. The performers brought an infectious sense of fun to the proceedings, appearing to have as much of a laugh as the audience as they pranced about in pantomime gear and sang us into the seasonal spirit. Admittedly the afternoon lacked polish, with some transitions feeling clunky, and the interweaved pantomime humour and cabaret did not always sit entirely comfortably side by side. Yet the performance’s flaws were oddly endearing and in the intimate setting the audience felt invited into the fun, even coaxed into singing along at the conclusion of the festivities.
All the stock pantomime characters – the dame, the villain, the prince – made appearances, although Ventress and Verenieks inserted some witty twists. I doubt that there is another pantomime in which the fairy godmother sings Lady Gaga’s 'Bad Romance' and Santa gets a visit from the health and safety inspector. A playful Glee-inspired number concluded the first act in side-splitting style and a cheeky, hilarious reworking of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' provided one of many laugh-out-loud moments throughout the afternoon.
The pantomime larks were punctuated by some excellent turns from the featured performers, with Nancy Sullivan as one of the highlights delivering simple and heartbreaking renditions of 'To Make You Feel My Love' and the Judy Garland classic 'The Man That Got Away'. Emma Odell brought smiles to the audience with her delightfully comedic version of another Judy Garland favourite, 'The Trolley Song', while Helen Blackman rounded off the afternoon with an exquisite vocal performance. The material was well selected and all three performers shone, but I would have liked to hear more from these talented women, who had regrettably short slots in the performance.
The evening was concluded with a good old Christmas sing-along to warm even the coldest of hearts and send everyone home brimming with Christmas cheer. I could have done with more of the cabaret and less of the ding-dong, but only a true Scrooge could leave such an afternoon without a smile on their face and if the performances of Blackman, Sullivan and Odell are anything to go by then next year’s cabaret season at Lauderdale House could be one to look out for.
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