Desmorphia

The Voodoo Rooms    12 - 30 August @ 19.30    Ministry of Burlesque/ Blond Ambition/Des O’Connor

The faded grandeur of the glitzy black and gold Voodoo Rooms perfectly matches the highly polished cabaret act Desmorphia. Lead performer is suave Des O’Connor - and no, not the permatanned crooner from TV, but the younger, edgier performer of the same name. Appearing in immaculate white tails (the first of many fine costumes) and heavy panda style make-up (fortunately worn briefly) O’Connor commands events with a silver-tongued and precise delivery. The evening I attended, he effortlessly deviated from the routine structure, morphing through banter and impromptu songs - at the drop of a hat.

The accompanying performers, blond-wigged and full voiced Sarah-Louise Young, and dumpy comic Elvis type Jim Devereaux, lend the evening a balanced contrast. The trio cover an eclectic array of topics – from pandas to drugs, from festivals to insomnia, and somehow even add flamboyant Adam Ant to the concoction. Although the song melodies are mediocre, they do serve as adequate conduit for witty, fast-paced lyrics, and O’Connor is an accomplished player on keyboard, accordion and mini guitar. If you want high quality cabaret, glitter and sophistication, make sure you catch this show.