In Black Widow: Sex, Bugs & A High Death Toll, Isabel Knight invites audiences back into the web of Arachne, her razor-sharp, silk-spinning alter ego who blurs the line between seduction and satire. Part cabaret siren, part mythic avenger, the half-woman, half-spider creation returns to Melbourne stages with sharper legs, stronger vocals and a newfound depth. We spoke to Knight about how this remount is not just sting and spectacle, but a deeper dive into vulnerability, power and the messy thrill of transformation.
Knight admits that Arachne has never left her and has slowly been weaving her way back to Melbourne stages. "Honestly, I haven’t stopped thinking about her," she says. "She has made an appearance at some cabaret nights singing songs and finding a new lover or two, but nothing beats her in her full form, web and all. She is still itching to say more and who am I to stop her?"
In this return season, Knight states a more sensitive side to Arachne will be explored, pushing the character to her emotional limits without dulling her dangerous allure. "I’m interested in going to the edges of the character and her experience. She can’t loose her deadly and seductive edge, even if I tried," she explains. "What I am wanting to drop into is the open, expansive and sometimes uncomfortable process of being vulnerable. Now more than ever, we carry a hard outer shell and if she can open herself to the possibility of love then maybe we all can?"Being a spider-woman means there is, of course, a very elaborate costume involved, where a ritualistic transformation occurs one leg at a time. "It’s all in the legs!" Knight laughs. "Everything in the costuming and make-up has gone up a notch this time around, and that helps to bring her to life. I’ve done some clown training and more creative development and have applied that to strengthening the "mask" of her character. This extends to her physicality, voice, relationship to space etc."
"She is both a part of me and an entity in her own right. She was born out of rage and disempowerment that I felt at the hands of the patriarchy and the misogynistic systems that we live within. Her force, goddess energy and alluring nature are palpable, she has a license to do things that I wouldn’t (necessarily) do. Over the years she has found her own voice and journey alongside me. She is such a fierce character to step into and so when I’m zipping up that morph suit and attaching the legs I feel excited and hoping I don’t need to do a wee!"
Despite being a half-woman, half-spider being Knight has been surprised with how much full humans have connected with this being's plight. "I think the most surprising thing has been how people react to her. Some people are totally drawn in and want to be close to her, some are terrified, and some find a sexy mix of both," she tells me. "I’ve had so many conversations with people about her and the impact she has, and that always takes me a back. When something you create lands with people, in anyway, it’s always an amazing feeling."
While the show leans into comedy and sensuality, as any good cabaret should, music remains at its core. Finding the right songs for Arachne has been a long and evolving process for Knight, one that has allowed her to rework familiar tracks and reshape them into something distinctly her own, crafted specifically for the Black Widow. "I’ve got a playlist called the ‘Black Widow Mega Playlist’ of about 80 songs that could be used in this show or a future one. She has such a striking vocal presence and style so it is clear when a song works or doesn’t fit her vibe," Knight explains.
"Some songs have come really quickly because they suit the moment, and others have taken more trial and error. Some of the songs I have written into parodies, so taking the original song and changing the lyrics has been a fun process and taken me to some surprising places. There are also new songs in this version of the show which have come from shifts of her journey throughout the piece."
With sharper legs, bolder songs and a heart she is finally ready to expose, Black Widow: Sex, Bugs & A High Death Toll marks the next chapter in Arachne’s evolution, and Melbourne audiences can expect to be both disarmed and delighted by this silk-spinning femme fatale.
MICF QUICKFIRE FIVE
1. The most memorable audience reaction I've ever received is in the first season of the show when I asked someone their name for an audience
participation moment, they said their name was ‘Figment of Your Imagination’
which I then had to incorporate into a song.
2. A totally absurd award I’d win if it existed is
Best Morph Suit
.
3. The worst thing I have ever eaten is my latest husband (awful indigestion).
4. One backstage ritual that makes me feel ready to get on stage is doing an emergency wee and a glass of prosecco goes down quite well too
, although the two are in conflict.
5. If I could swap places with another performer for a day, it would be the iconic Mae West because she truly was a badass. Her power, sensuality and
humour are second to none.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: The Speakeasy Theatre, 522 Flinders St, Melbourne
Season: 6 - 19 April | 10pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $35 Full | $27 Conc | $25 Preview
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival
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