Triple Threat brings together three sensational singers for a charming cabaret about connection and communication across cultural and linguistic differences.
Performed as part of PIP Theatre’s inaugural Toucan Club, a month-long festival of cabaret and live arts at their Milton theatre, Triple Threat is directed by Aurélie Roque and is the second full-length cabaret written by and starring Laura Fois.
Laura Fois begins the show alone, singing a ballad in Italian, but her performance is “interrupted” when two other women – Renee Kwok and Ro van Rensburg – stumble onto the stage. The three singers begin to chat, and soon find that they have a lot in common although they are from very different backgrounds: Laura is “an Italian Down Under”, Ro is from South Africa, and Renee is Australian with Hong Kong heritage. Despite these differences, they find plenty of shared experiences and common ground, like cooking and food as a way to make friends and show care.
The cabaret that unfolded was focused on song and sharing stories – as the three women formed a friendship, they also compete with each other, gossip, and discuss fashion and dreams. Most songs were sung together, with beautiful harmonies, but there was also a number of solos and duets throughout the performance.
The songs in Triple Threat were drawn from a broad range of musical theatre, from The Sound of Music and Annie Get Your Gun through to Heathers, Avenue Q, [title of show] and more. Some of these songs were adjusted slightly to fit the show’s structure, and all were accompanied live by emerging pianist Alexandra Angus.
Between songs, the three women discussed experiences of immigration, casual racism, miscommunication, and stereotypes. They also reflected on the many different reasons that people choose to leave their home countries – safety and security, opportunity, adventure, and more – as well as the courage that it takes to uproot your life and start over in a completely different place, language, and culture.
In her programme note, Laura Fois wrote that Triple Threat wasborn of a necessity to provide opportunities for other CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) performers, adding that “we need to talk to the ones amongst us that forgot that someone in their family, once upon a time, talked funny for someone else’s ears.”
All three performers had sensational voices, good comedic timing, and a great onstage rapport with one another. Their performance of simple, but effective, choreography by Sara Jane Aistrope was well-coordinated and lighting design by Ava Moschetti and Laura McKenna was colourful and dynamic, using dramatic spotlights and disco balls and often changing on the beat.
Triple Threat was a highly entertaining cabaret performance, reflecting on the nature of communication and connection as well as showcasing the talent of local CALD performers.
Triple Threat will be performed at PIP Theatre, Milton from 23 November – 21 December 2023.
For ticketing and further information, visit the PIP Theatre website
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