Reuben Kaye Is Taking His 'enGORGEd' Show To Brisbane, And We’re Swollen In Anticipation

It’s not very often you get to speak with a triple threat like Reuben Kaye, a master singer, comedian and writer and all-round naughty influence on his growing band of international fans.

The Music spoke to Kaye about his enGORGEd show heading to Queensland, and the honour he feels to be performing this one-night-only experience at QPAC’s prestigious Concert Hall on November 6.

enGORGEd is every bit a theatrical hit, accompanied by an eighteen-piece ensemble (five-piece band, three-piece vocal ensemble, and 10-piece orchestra), decadent outfit changes, and cabaret performances that deliver a bolt of energy and hilarity straight to your veins.

It’s Kaye’s boldest production yet, which seldom gets a chance to come out of the box due to the sheer scale of the show, making it even more thrilling that it has found a home at QPAC in partnership with Brisbane’s queer arts and cultural festival, Melt Festival.

“It's that great intersection of feeling like they're in safe hands, but also that they're watching something dangerous, that they're incredibly turned on, and that at the end, they leave feeling like they can change the world somehow,” said Kaye.

“I think the thing about one of my shows is I intentionally want to bring the audience through it, so they experience what I'm experiencing. I've always loved performances that exhausted the audience. You think about Liza [Minnelli], you think about Jim Carrey. You think about Judy Garland, Richard Pryor. Audiences left the shows going, ‘Oh my God,’” Kaye said.

Originally commissioned by Adelaide Cabaret Festival, enGORGEd got its first run two years ago, and Kaye revealed that he and Musical Director and co-writer Shanon Whitelock (The Muse, Never Date A Songwriter, Oprahfication) have added three new songs for their Queensland audience.

“It's a massive, massive gig. I think it's the biggest show I've ever done in terms of its rehearsal, the choosing of the songs, the arranging of the songs,” said Kaye.

“Some of the quick changes are happening directly on stage in front of the audience. And I've got four gorgeous costumes. It'll all happen on stage with very little time. And you know me, I like to chat.”

Despite the fresh flavour Kaye has brought to cabaret, he acknowledges the legacy of this early form and the importance of having these fun, unbridled theatre experiences.

“Cabaret is sort of timeless, but people keep on thinking it's coming back as a new art form, because it's still so rebellious, still so dangerous, still so current. It allows for the performer and the audience to meet in a way that no other art form allows,” Kaye explains.

“Cabaret is normally done in an intimate venue with a three-piece or four-piece, but through my work, I’ve really tried to expand that, develop it so I could do it in a one-thousand-seater theatre with a six-to-nine-piece band. And here I am, going to do it in the Concert Hall with an 18-piece orchestra, just trying to prove how versatile and immediate this art form is and how exciting it is for an audience.”

Kaye is no stranger to Brisbane or QPAC, having already performed in QPAC venues before with hits The Kaye Hole (Cremorne Theatre) and now Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Theatre), which is currently in its fourth week of a six-week-long show.

Kaye was recently announced as the Adelaide Cabaret Festival's Artistic Director, and says he feels a great passion towards arts festivals that are not in Sydney and Melbourne. With Kaye’s first solo show in 2017, debuting at the Perth and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, the connection to these cities and festivals outside of the Melbourne and Sydney circuit is evident.

“The world knows about Melbourne and Sydney, but I think the world is discovering, and has been on a great discovery of how amazing Brisbane is,” said Kaye.

“There’s a huge amount of live music and art happening up here. The weather is really attractive, but it’s also the underground art scene here, the circus here, the drag here is really exciting,” Kaye continues, mentioning Queensland's artists and performers, Polytoxic and The Briefs Factory.

Kaye is on a crusade to push cabaret to more audiences, exhilarated by the reception received from unbelievers-turned-converts as they immerse themselves in the inclusive and unexpected experience.

Kaye continues to prove himself as a solid Australian comedy export, having brought The Kaye Hole show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, and continuing the fun through a late-night show.

More recently, Kaye’s 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival show was the second-highest reviewed show at the festival. Earlier this week, Kaye informed his 158k followers on Instagram that he will not be performing The Kaye Hole or any other solo show this year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but rather attending to see shows in his capacity as Adelaide Cabaret Festival’s Artistic Director.

Kaye will perform enGORGEd on November 6 at QPAC’s Concert Hall, with the juxtaposition of the cathedral-like venue perfect for Kaye’s signature envelope-pushing style that will leave audiences blushing and begging for more. You can find tickets here.

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