Manxious: the nerves and anxiety one exhibits while waiting for a man to
text back. It's a serious affliction and something that Rachel Rai want to
share with us in her cabaret show, Manxious. Despite its worrisome theme, it’s a fun show that not only
showcases Rai’s ability to sing and perform, but also gives the audience plenty
of laughs.Rai intersperses a diverse number of songs throughout the evening as she goes through the excruciating process of waiting for a response to her perfectly created text. These numbers have been reimagined in ways that give them new life and celebrate Rai's versatility as a singer. Her inclusion of some iconic Australian songs would have to be the musical highlight of Manxious, including her audience rousing cover of John Farnham's “Pressure Down”. Another surprise was the theme from Home And Away, which was the last musical number I would ever expect to hear in a cabaret show, but Rai manages to make it feel like a genuine, heartfelt song.