It's not easy being an adult. As you enter your 20s, you notice an increase in your responsibilities and obligations in being a good adult, especially when owning your home, having a high-paying career, getting married and having children seem to be the determiners of this success. Tash York doesn't have any of that, but she does have a hell of a lot of talent, and in her cabaret show, Adulting, she sings her way through her frustrations on what makes your adult life a good life.
York and pianist Tim Solly cleverly take a number of well-known songs, change the lyrics and create new musical numbers that provide the audience with a sense of familiarity and also allow for an anticipation to flow through the room as to what song will be next. Ace of Base's "All That She Wants" becomes a song about needing a baby to feel complete and a cheeky spot of rapping hilariously exposes the harsh truths of famous nursery rhymes and their characters, including Georgie Porgie and his predatory ways.
Fresh from her wine swigging, nugget-obsessing shenanigans in These Things Take Wine, cabaret performer returns to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with a new show, simply called Adulting. While not explicitly connected, both shows deal with York attempting to get by in life and the frustrations and challenges faced - naturally expressed through song.
"I
suppose the two [shows] go together well. They're both similarly autobiographical but Adulting includes
more details about my engagement at 19, my obscene amount of parking
fines and of course loads of love for my two favourite vices: wine and
chicken nuggets!" York tells me. "Expect parodied songs about not being able to afford
life, do things like our parents used to and that no matter how hard you
pretend to do adult things, life can throw curve balls at you - no
matter who you are!"
