Sydney was the original home of cabaret in Australia; it is an artform that is truly loved by all Australians. This year organisers decided to bring back the Sydney Cabaret Festival.
Trevor Ashley is the Festival’s Artistic Director. He assembled both International and Australian cabaret stars into a 9 day extravaganza of top class entertainment. Trevor states, “I have loved Cabaret as long as I can remember. As a confused child growing up I discovered this incredible artform that celebrated unique personalities, and more than that, an irreplaceable bond between artist and audience. Seeing artists like Lorrae Desmond, Julie Anthony and Geraldine Turner live, made me believe I could be anyone I wanted to be. It changed my life.”
The 2019 Sydney Cabaret Festival features Tony Award-winner Jennifer Holliday (pictured above), appearing for the first time on Australian soil, alongside local legends like Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins, to New York downtown darling Natalie Joy Johnson. UK’s Frisky and Mannish return after a ten year hiatus, as does diva Alison Jiear. Tim Draxl will appear in a world premiere of his new show, along with Kim David Smith, Reuben Kaye and Brian Nash, plus circus and variety show Cheeky Cabaret, direct from their home in Brunswick Heads. Tim Benzie returns to Sydney with Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote. The Festival also includes a cabaret for children, Petit Cabaret, and masterclasses with Jennifer Holliday and Alison Jiear, as well as the Grand Final of the restored Sydney Cabaret Competition.
I was the Festival’s Photographer and had the pleasure of photographing and documenting most of the action. The following is a brief visual overview of how I spent my time.
Jennifer Holliday – Headlines the Festival
Jennifer laid the audience in the aisles as she unleashed her amazing voice in the Sydney Town Hall on Saturday 6 July, 2019
Opening Night at the City Recital Hall
Trevor Ashley in diva mode 
Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins 
Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins 
Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins 
Jonathan Biggins
Reuben Kaye 
Reuben Kaye 
Reuben Kaye 
Reuben Kaye, beamed down for the performance
Brian Nash
Nathalie Joy Johnson 
Nathalie Joy Johnson 
Nathalie Joy Johnson
Kim David Smith 
Kim David Smith 
Kim David Smith
The solo Performances
Seymour Centre 
The Seymour Centre was transformed into the Cabaret Hub with solo performances simultaneously running in 5 separate performance spaces. There was a great buzz of excitement and anticipation as the audiences crowded to attend each show. I ran from theatre to theatre capturing the action. Here’s a visual overview…..
Alison Jiear
Alison Jiear 
Alison Jiear
Cabaret Competition Grand Final
Australia’s next generation of cabaret superstars launched their careers at The Sydney Cabaret Competition: Grand Final hosted by ‘International Queen of Cabaret’ Trevor Ashley.
9 entertainers were selected as finalists (Nyssa Milligan, Irene Nicaola, Katelin Koprivec, Sarah Murr, Naomi Livingston, Rachael Gillfeather, Ali Calder, Billie Palin and Clare Ellen O’Connor), each performed their own short cabaret shows. The judges then selected the 2019 winner.
Congratulations to the runner up – Clare Ellen O’Conner with her show Plucked! and the Audience Choice and Winner – Billie Palin, for her incredible performance in ‘From Dubbo to Death’.
Irene Nicola performs at the finals 
Clair Ellen O’Conner in “Plucked” (Competition Runner-up) 
Clair Ellen O’Conner 
Clair Ellen O’Conner 
Katelin Koprivec 
Katelin Koprivec 
Sarah Murr 
Sarah Murr 
Billie Palin in “From Dubbo to Death” (Competition Winner) 
Nyssa Milligan 
Nyssa Milligan 
Naomi Livingston 
Trevor Ashley announces the Runner-Up 
Trevor Ahsley presents the Runner-Up to Claire O’Connor 
The winner is announced! It’s Billie Palin, in “From Dubbo to Death
Cheeky Cabaret
Born out of the sleepy, picturesque village of Brunswick Heads on the north coast of NSW, birthed at the Brunswick Picture House, comes “Cheeky Cabaret”. Full of many flavours…..other than vanilla and very entertaining, Cheeky Cabaret ran for the entire length of the Festival in the Valhalla Room at the Seymour Centre.
Cheeky Cabaret 
Cheeky Cabaret 
Cheeky Cabaret
Frisky and Hammish
Frisky and Mannish 
Frisky and Mannish 
Frisky and Mannish
Master Class with Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer Holliday Masterclass 
Jennifer Holliday gives some special advice during her master class at the Seymour Centre
Kim David Smith
Kim David Smith 
Kim David Smith 
Kim David Smith
Nathalie Joy Johnson
Nathalie Joy Johnson 
Nathalie Joy Johnson 
Nathalie Joy Johnson
Phil Scott & Jonathan Biggins
Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins 
Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins 
Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins 
Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins
Reuben Haye
Reuben Kaye 
Reuben Kaye on stage at “Capricios”, Seymour Centre
Tim Draxyl
Tim Draxyl begins his performance 
Tim Draxyl 
Tim Draxyl 
Tim Draxyl
Toni Lamond and the Finale
Trevor Ashley at the Festival Finale 
Trevor Ashley at the Festival Finale 
Trevor Ashley at the Festival Finale 
Billie Palin (Cabaret Competition Winner) 
Billie Palin (Cabaret Competition Win 
Cabaret Royalty, Toni Lamond, makes her entrance 
Toni Lamond slays the crowd 
Toni Lamond 
Toni Lamond 
Toni Lamond 
Toni Lamond 
Toni Lamond
The Piano Bar
The Piano Bar was a popular venue, nestled in the Seymour Centre’s Festival hub. Each night heralded a plethora of pop-up performances from various artists.
Trevor Ashley with Rhonda Burchmore 
Cath Alcorn 
Cath Alcorn 
Genevieve Lemon 
Genevieve Lemon 
Genevieve Lemon 
Genevieve Lemon 
Minnie Cooper 
Minnie Cooper 
Minnie Cooper 
Minnie Cooper 
Brian Nash 
Nathalie Joy Johnson (sans wig) 
Nathalie Joy Johnson 
Reuben Kaye 
Nathalie Joy Johnson, Reuben Kaye & Brian Nash 
Nathalie Joy Johnson, Reuben Kaye, Brian Nash & Trevor Ashley 
Trevor Ashley and Nathalie Joy Johnson 
Trevor Ashley 
Rhonda Burchmore 
Rhonda Burchmore 
Rhonda Burchmore 
Rhonda Burchmore 
Tim Freedman 
Tim Freedman 
Rhonda Burchmore 
Rhonda Burchmore 
Catherine Alcorn 
Catherine Alcorn 
Catherine Alcorn 
Genevieve Lemon 
Phil Scott 
Kim David Smith and Brian Nash 
Reuben Kaye and Brian Nash
The Sydney International Cabaret Festival was a big success and will be now on the Sydney cultural horizon….so watch out for it next year and don’t miss seeing a few of the performers in next years line-up.