Velvet
The Garden of Unearthly Delights, Rundle Park until March 13
Review by Honey B
The searing disco inferno that is Velvet has made a scorching return to The Garden of Unearthly Delights
Award-winning director Craig Ilott and his superb ensemble cast featuring disco goddess Marcia Hines and the
gorgeously talented Brendan Maclean have upped the fever since the show premiered at the 2015 Adelaide
Fringe.
The high-energy, eclectic
music, circus and theatre show
simply pulsates with energy
and passion as the tight-knit
ensemble strut their stuff on-
stage.
One cast member, burlesque
queen Perle Noire unfortunately
could not return to the
production for this season.
The joyous thing about this
sensational show is that young,
highly talented singer/dancers
Rechelle Mansour and Chaska
Halliday have stepped up to fill
in some of the gaps with
breathtaking routines. These
girls never miss a beat or a
note.
DJ Joe Accaria was also on the
beat and his role has also been
expanded in the show. Beats
simply pulsate through his
veins.
Velvet is your quintessential
Studio 54 and into this
hedonistic, underground
discotheque stumbles a wide-
eyed innocent performed to
perfection by Maclean.
His character is on a journey of
self-discovery and he ends up
being guided by Hines’ glorious disco diva.
The young man meets other strange characters in the club including the deliciously camp and incredible hula
hoop boy, Craig Reid who twirled and shimmed in brightly coloured lycra like there was no tomorrow. Reid was a
crowd-pleaser and received many hoots of delight from the audience.
Bringing the sexy back leather-clad biker flew through the air to the Weather Girls’ hit It’s Raining Men as Hines
and her two sassy diva apprentices Halliday and Mansour shimmy on the stage.
Hines shone in a tight sparkly gold mirrored dress and exuded class, as well as a few knowing winks to audience
members, as she gave an exceptional vocal performance.
The endearing songstress delighted fans with hits including Enough Is Enough (No More Tears), You and Never
Knew Love Like This Before.
The bond between Hines and Maclean was absolutely palpable. Maclean never for a millisecond dropped out of
character and he was a dream to watch.
All of the ensemble cast lived through their characters – each and everyone was entirely believable.
There was plenty of light and dark in this underground world and a highlight was Maclean’s reinvention of the
Bee Gee’s Stayin’ Alive on the ukulele – it was a beautifully haunting version.
Of course disco fever is too much for anyone to resist and Maclean dazzled as he transformed into a feathered
number to join the rest of the boogie-licious cast.
This polished production is a piece of pure perfection with mind-blowing theatrics, sound and lighting.
The 70s disco inferno was well and truly lit with audience members not wanting to leave the spiegeltent for
home and Accaria spinning a few extra disco tunes for those pumped up to party after an infectious, hip-
swivelling show.