★★★1/2
Adelaide Fringe. Stefanie Rummel. The Garage International @ Adelaide Town Hall. 17 Feb 2023
It’s good to break the drought and get into the vibe of the Fringe, and Chanson was the show to start things off! A 6.00pm show in the heart of the city on the opening evening. Perfect!
Chanson was a loosely scripted wander through the musical musing of German born singer Stefanie Rummel, whereby she introduces the songs she likes to sing with a little bit of a story of her life used to link the passages. It could be engaging, and generally is, yet in places seems a little forced and vague. She is much given to asking her audience if they know of a place, or understand what she is talking about: “Strasbourg, do you know of it?” I found this odd as previously she had asked the 60 or so people in the audience whether they had ever been to France and received a near 100% response.
In any event, Rummel is an engaging performer; she plays the part with verve and enthusiasm, and with a wardrobe of very sparkly clothes and accessories. She shimmers from the stage in this most beautiful of venues down to her audience and then back again, always on the move.
And the music: as you might expect, and influenced by her time living in France, is a collection of torch songs and cabaret greats from last century. Edith Piaf’s Milord of course makes an appearance, and after a little more banter is joined by the nursery rhyme known to all, Frere Jacques. Some of the choices seem odd, yet may well be oddly appropriate to a whimsical study for this is Stefanie Rummel’s soundtrack played out on stage.
Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend is joined by Marlene Dietrich’s version of the anti-war song Where Have All The Flowers Gone? She was something of a late starter in singing the song, a traditional piece adapted and arranged by Pete Seeger. More commonly for a European cabaret chanteuse, Jacques Brel’s Amsterdam makes an appearance, sung emphatically and with barely controlled power, as it should be. It was, all in all, a fitting tribute.
Alex Wheaton
When: 17 Feb to 1 Mar
Where: The Garage International
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
