Queen Bitch - Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

Geraldine Quinn has had an extremely rough time of late. A series of unfortunate events have forced her from living in her south eastern suburbs unit back to the not-so idyllic surroundings of Noble Park (North), just 5km from where her parents live. Queen Bitch, her new cabaret comedy show, recalls these events in horrific and hysterical detail, which begin from when she was a 10 year old girl in love with Xanadu but petrified of roller skating.

Quinn is a masterful storyteller in bringing all the pieces of her life together to create a flowing single narrative that engages the audiences for its entirety. Her performance is highly impressive with her tone and facial expressions used effectively to convey her emotions. When describing the moment her unit flooded, the whole room can feel the frantic disbelief that she would have experienced in that situation.

But Quinn isn't just brilliant at telling a story, she's also an exceptional singer and I simply cannot understand why she has not received the recognition she deserves. Her lyrics are absolutely hilarious, providing insight into her thoughts and more importantly, allowing the story to move forward. The musical arrangements are very tight with musicians Xani Kolac and Roderick Cairns joining Quinn on stage. Their playing of just a guitar and violin bring unexpected variety to the music while still allowing the audience to focus on what is being sung and allowing for an intimacy between them and Quinn to be built.

For all its laughs and jokes, there is a heart to Queen Bitch that is impossible to deny. Queen Bitch is an uplifting first-rate cabaret about how quickly your seemingly happy life can unravel and result with you spiralling down into a severe depression. Quinn's story is about facing your fears and demons no matter how scary they are and about taking a chance on life and love - in whatever form that may take - and going to a place where nobody dared to go.

Click here for my interview with Geraldine Quinn.

Venue: Malthouse Theatre, 113 Sturt Street, Southbank
Season: until 22 April | Tues - Sat 8.30pm, Sun 7:30pm
Length: 60 minutes
Tickets: $28 Full | $23 Conc |$20 Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: MICF website