OBSERVER: Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes


International cabaret star Meow Meow returns to Melbourne this month with Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes, described as ‘a wildly inventive, darkly funny and achingly beautiful reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale,’ playing from November 19 – December 6 at the Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse.
Drawing on the myth of a young girl who cannot stop dancing, Meow Meow explores the seduction of desire, the fragility of identity, and the hunger for transcendence that drives every performer to step back into the spotlight, again and again.
The beguiling fairytale offers audiences a cabaret spectacle that’ leans into frenzy, ferocity and joy, with a wink, a gasp and more than a little mischief.’
Directed by Kate Champion (Artistic Director of Black Swan State Theatre Company), Meow Meow is joined on stage by a live ensemble of virtuosic musicians and collaborators, including Kanen Breen, Mark Jones, Dan Witton and Jethro Woodward, with musical direction and sound design by Jethro Woodward, set and costume design by Dann Barber and lighting design by Rachel Burke.
Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes is the third in a trilogy of Hans Christian Andersen adaptations created and performed by the venerated artiste, following on from the success of Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid (2017) and Meow Meow’s Little Match Girl (2012).
Meow Meow is widely celebrated as one of the world’s most electrifying and genre-defying performers.
Her ‘kamikaze cabaret’ has been hailed across international stages from the Sydney Opera House to London’s West End, Lincoln Center and the Berlin Philharmonic.
Known for her ability to shatter the conventions of cabaret while maintaining a deep musicality and razor-sharp theatrical intelligence, she has collaborated with artists and companies including Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal, Mikel Rouse, Barry Humphries and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Performance Season: November 19 – December 6
Venue: Merlyn Theatre, Malthouse, 113 Sturt St., Malthouse.
Tickets are on sale now at malthousetheatre.com.au
Cheryl Threadgold