Peter Cumins at the Perth International Cabaret Festival

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Arts & Culture; Published: 25 June 2022

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There is Nothin' Like a Dame - Peter Cumins, Perth International Cabaret Festival
Photo Credit: Vanessa Cooper Photographie

My partner and I were looking forward to our Friday evening at the Perth International Cabaret Festival – this time we were seeing performer Peter Cumins in his show “There is Nothin’ Like A Dame” at Downstairs at The Maj.

Downstairs at The Maj is a lovely downstairs den – perfect for cabaret shows – with drinks and a light menu available, and small clusters of tables all with a good view of the stage with a nice, cosy, intimate atmosphere.

Peter Cumins' on-stage presence is second to none across multiple fronts. His singing voice leaves you mesmerised and gives you that wonderful feeling of having touched your heart and soul, along with having a very fun and engaging persona between numbers.

This evening we were in for a treat as Peter had selected songs made famous by the dames of musical theatre in Broadway and the West End over the last few decades, including Ethel Merman, Patti LuPone, Julie Andrews, Gwen Verdon, and Judi Dench.

His story telling about the Dames interspersed between the songs added some fun insights to the night – with tales of chequered events and twists and turns along the way as they rose towards fame and stardom.

Peter’s repertoire of songs were wide-ranging in style and tempo – a credit to his singing prowess and versatility. As he said – it was an evening of indulgence for himself to be able to sing these songs – but we in the audience were I think the very lucky ones to be indulged. Thank you to the Golden Man of musical theatre songs !

My favourite song for the evening was his final song “Send in the Clowns” as he channelled a little Judi Dench for a moving finale.

Some of the more boppy Broadway numbers really capped off the evening, with Peter getting in the spirit of the shows with much zeal accompanied by his talented two piece band who kept up with his energetic performance over the course of a very entertaining hour.

Alas, The Perth International Cabaret Festival is coming to its end this weekend but you can still catch Peter Cumins and all the other amazing performers at the Closing Night Gala tonight at His Majesty’s Theatre, where they come together to help close and celebrate another successful cabaret festival event – now in its 2nd year running.

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