Review: My Vagabond Boat

In a festival where shows so often dwell on the glory days of cabaret – offering glimpses into the past, covering ballads of old and imitating dead performers – it is rare to find a show with such contemporary resonance as My Vagabond Boat. Both musically and rhetorically, this show is anchored in the here and now. That is not to say this is a ‘re-imagining’ of the cabaret tradition. Homage is paid to the cabaret gods, and the audience can’t escape from a little bit of French and German being tossed their way, but the style and social history of cabaret is woven deeply into a contemporary critique of present-day society. What starts with a pop medley, bent distinctly to the knee of cabaret, ebbs into romantic nostalgia, rises up into absurd stories and sails through classics of the genre. It does feel disjointed at times. The connections between a cat wearing a party hat, love letters from old cabaret writers and a cliché immigrant talking about his onion cookbook are not always apparent. Yet in the final few minutes of this stellar performance an emotional kick in the guts forces you to re-evaluate what you have seen, and ties it all together. Musically, there is little criticism to be made. The performers inhabit their melodramatic roles superbly, and particular credit must be given to Nigel Ubrehien for his wonderful tinkering on the grand piano and lingual flexibility. Likewise, the musical accompaniment is so varied, well-placed and -paced that it will sweep you away like driftwood. Lighting, staging and costume are all entirely appropriate, serving to accentuate the smoke-tinged bohemia of the players’ style, and parsed back enough to let these performers consume your attention entirely. My Vagabond Boat is wonderful contemporary cabaret. It knows its roots, and wants you to remember your own.

4.5 stars

My Vagabond Boat continues at The Banquet Room until Sunday, June 7.