Live Performance Review - Devastating Beauty

Images by Matto Lucas Photography.

A tale of self-addiction and self-doubt. 

Entering the stage half-draped, half-absorbed in a sequinned cloak reminiscent of something book Dumbledore could only ever dream of, the Queen of Cabaret spares no time in setting the tone for an hour long glitzy exploration of their psyche. 

Christopher Fieldus aka the drag chanteuse Ms CeCe Rockefeller rounds off the end of this year’s ever-growing Melbourne Midsummer Festival with their cabaretica Devastating Beauty. Whilst the decadent Ms CeCe is mentioned throughout the show this is not her moment. Her existence is merely a starting point to questioning the way in which we hide our pain through various forms of escapism. Or in other words, it was time for Ms CeCe to be relegated to the shadows for once. Her fans will be left disenchanted as Fieldus rips away the facade of her beauty and glamour to reveal her devastatingly human origins. 

I admit I was hesitant when I read that the performance was a mix of prose and song. Especially with the singers listed varying in music styles from Celine Dion to the Killers - amazing on their own, yes, but together? Questionable at best. But to my surprise Fieldus had rearranged the songs into something that effortlessly carried the lyrical nature of their tale. It felt like being transported back to the 1920s, watching an elegant performer pour their heart out on the stage as a sea of beverage sipping affluent individuals ignore the social commentary and focus only on the opulence. The only thing missing was a piano man and a cigarette in hand - due to the fact that Fieldus has since quit smoking and a piano was a tad hard to work into the intimate upstairs cabaret stage at the Motley Bauhaus theatre. 

Whilst the Narcissus-centred allegories felt a little heavy at times, it was with Hermes that Fieldus soared (pun intended), Hermes being the protector of orators and thieves who also dabbles in transporting the dead to their next life. And whilst Fieldus explored Greek Mythology and a pinch of Christianity, in the end the performance read like a story straight out of Egyptian myth; where we, the audience, were placed in the position of Maat, the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice, poised to judge the weighing of Fieldus’ heart against the weight of a feather. And boy was that heart cumbersome. 

Fieldus strips down for us - whether this was a symbolic act or an after effect of exerting themself on a small stage is unclear - removing layer after layer of clothing until we are left with the raw parts of their soul. Many performers would omit their own faults when discussing the breakdown of former relationships, but not Fieldus - from dwelling on former heartbreak to the point of ignoring the person in front of you, to cheating on your partner because of your overwhelming need for attention and love, each sordid revelation peeled back a layer of their act. This is what made Fieldus’ performance - the way they took ownership for their former actions in a way where their behaviour was explained but not justified. A brazen reflection of their own shortcomings but in a way that inspires others to recognise their own reckless imperfections, rather than to invoke a narcissistic pity party. It’s easy to point out the ways others have ruined you, but admitting to being the villain in someone else’s tale is another level of candour. 

My only criticism would be the noticeable use of a script during their performance. As beautifully written as the prose was, one could not help but feel displaced after seeing Fieldus serenade the crowd with their wide eyes and belting vocals - only to turn to reading off an archaic teleprompter. Whilst it is understandably difficult to memorise lines upon lines, perhaps a way of acknowledging or working the obvious piece of paper into the performance would have eased the at times jarring disconnect between the sung and the spoken.

So if cabaretic pop music, the secret life of drag stars and passing judgement upon mere mortals is your vice, then Devastating Beauty is the show for you.

3.5 idealised versions of stars out of 5.

Devastating Beauty is showing at The Motley Bauhaus - Cabaret Stage from February 6-11 as part of Midsumma Festival. For tickets and more info, click here.