There is something magnetic about Ivy Paige, with her long lashes, coy glances downwards, the pout of her deep scarlet lips, and her flaming hair brushed to one side. Her tiara necklace and turquoise sequin corset go well together with the green, then purple, then dim yellow lights that are put on with smoke for her songs. She tastefully plays coquettish, with just the right amount of tease, without being giggly or frivolous.
She certainly has the ability to carry an air of hypnotic allure.
Her songs follow a familiar cabaret narrative of a woman hungry for success, who does whatever it takes to amass riches. At times she comes across as a bit too young to pull off the look of the once cynical but now on-top-of-the-world madame look. But on the other hand, perhaps that isn’t quite the look she is going for either. Indeed, one of the more successful elements of her show is how she offsets her playful teasings of the audience for not being as fabulous as she is, with light comments of self-deprecation. (For example she refers to the lack of glamour in Fringe performers having to overpay for low-key venues.)
Something about her act feels like she could exude a more commanding level of confidence, because she certainly has the ability to carry an air of hypnotic allure. Her songs are fun and catchy, but her voice doesn’t quite carry the powerful maturity to fill the room. Perhaps more could be developed from her songs, to create a more fleshed-out character for herself. More could come of her opening song about her pact with the devil, for example, if she gave more space in her act for spoken storytelling.
The performance that I went to see was slightly marred by a bland audience, and those sitting in the front rows - though they were not called on to participate heavily - were too reserved for a burlesque cabaret act. However, it is a thoroughly engaging, fun show, which would be even better with a more vigorous audience. She certainly has a great deal of potential to be an extremely captivating cabaret performer.
