The Breakup Variety Hour review | Ariana and the Rose | Melbourne International Comedy Festival | Trades Hall

Break-ups and heartache are rarely neat, they tend to be chaotic, messy, and experiences that many people spend a lot of time trying to make sense of. Coming all the way from Brooklyn, Ariana and the Rose brings her cabaret The Breakup Variety Hour to Melbourne, attempting to turn that turbulence into something structured and digestible. Using a mix of storytelling and 80s-infused pop songs, Ariana guides audiences through the six healing steps of a breakup, reframing recovery as a kind of staged journey.



The show struggles to establish a solid narrative backbone grounded in personal history. Ariana offers glimpses into her own romantic misadventures, but these instances are fragmented and missing a central thread that would allow audiences to connect more with her. Instead, significant time is spent outlining each step in detail, explaining what it is and how to move beyond it. Rather than seeing these stages lived and embodied, they are largely described, which reduces their impact. Like the tile, everything is laid out, leaving little space for nuance or discovery.



Where it does excel is in Ariana’s performance. She is a confident and engaging presence, with an exceptional vocal delivery that anchors the musical numbers. The pop songs are a highlight, sung with energy and style, and they provide the cabaret’s most entertaining and dynamic moments. There is a natural charisma in the way she holds the room, and she is at her best when fully immersed in singing mode.



Audience interaction is attempted throughout and is admirable in intent, though not always effective in execution. At one point, audience members are invited on stage to share their worst dates, and one volunteer’s story takes some unexpectedly strange turns. Ariana handles this well, displaying quick thinking and control while still acknowledging what has been said. However, in a room of this size, it raises the question of whether the Melbourne Town Hall is conducive to the level of intimacy and camaraderie the show is aiming for.



Presented as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, this production does not consistently land as comedy in a traditional form, with few deliberate laughs or comedic beats. While it incorporates humour from anecdotes and interactions, it sits better within the realm of a musical storytelling piece than a comedy. The Breakup Variety Hour has a polished performance with a strong musical element, but its impact is lessened by a lack of narrative cohesion and emotional specificity. With a clearer lived experience approach and through-line, it has the potential to resonate far more than it currently does.

SHOW DETAILS

Venue: Trades Hall, Cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton
Season: until 19 April | Thurs - Tues 7:45pm, Sun 6:45pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: $32 - $34 Full | $28 - $30 Conc | $26 Tightarse Tuesday
Bookings: Melbourne International Comedy Festival