Bursting with musical variety and talent, razor-sharp lyrics and incredible chemistry, Sarah-Louise Young and Michael Roulston return to this year’s Fringe with
If you love cabaret, don’t miss this, and don’t forget to ask for an Encore!
Character, La Poule Plombée (Sarah-Louise Young) stars in her first solo performance as part of the Cabaret Whore series, accompanied by the incredibly talented pianist and composer Michael Roulston. Staying in perfect character from start to finish, it is clear that this pair have fantastic on-stage presence and attraction. The hour-long performance consists of several wonderful original songs that feel familiar and cosy, an easy-going and beautiful listening experience but with enough variety and excitement – especially in the lyrics – to keep you on your toes.
La Poule Plombée is a tortured soul – born in France and brought up by her divorced Papa, a butcher, and her Mama, she is always looking desperately for love. Starting with the goosebump-inducing, powerful My Voice, Young is terrifying, electrifying and mesmerising all at the same time. The original lyrics are both funny and interesting yet Plombée’s dramatic style and comical lyrics still manage to evoke great emotion when watching her perform.
Roulston is a true virtuoso on the piano, playing and improvising with ease. His character is Plombée‘s obsessed and captured accompanist who is the last left of her once grand travelling band. The show follows and explores this story in the dynamic and catchy duet, That Wonderful Night. The show follows this story and explores Plombée’s childhood and feelings of misery. We travel through her past lovers with the entertaining Some Men Just Don’t Translate, and I still can’t quite get my head around how someone could create such a beautiful sounding song out of butchering in Perfect Papa. The story line sometimes felt a bit far-fetched and jumpy but the songs themselves were so wonderful, this was a minor blemish.
Young and Roulston’s wit and ad-libbing on stage when involving the audience were executed sharply and with real skill, and the entire performance always felt very intimate (in the good kind of way!) The musical talent on show was refreshing and smooth – if you love cabaret, don’t miss this, and don’t forget to ask for an Encore!
