For one weekend only, Sydney’s Flight Path theatre is host to a Variety Show like no other. Welcome to Dinner – Religion, Sex & Politics (4 – 7 December 2019), produced and curated by Flick Flick City, is a collection of short performance works, all under the wonderful theme of not safe for work, and definitely not safe for the dinner table.
My plus one Sam and I made the perfect duo for overanalysing a night at the theatre. Sam, a budding theatre technician, and myself, with no theatrical training whatsoever, guided simply by what I feel and enjoy. Off we went, to the aptly named Flight Path theatre. This historic venue has managed to turn what might be an annoyance in the eyes of some, into a delightful little quirk. And rather than ignore any sound based elephants which might be standing in the way of a night of entertainment, our MCs invited us to make a drinking game out of the sounds of planes overhead.
Unsure of what to expect, with the Royal Variety Show as our only point of reference, we were pleasantly surprised from the very first act. Each piece was short enough to be enjoyed thoroughly in its own right, as well as a part of the collective. And we were all made to feel like part of the show – members of the cast hidden in the audience, pretence of audience participation, and no regard whatsoever for the fourth wall made this an absolute riot from the word go.
Performing everything from spoken word poetry to burlesque with hoola hoops, after the first two acts there wasn’t much we didn’t expect. Living up to its name and promise of risqué content, there were brave tales of poo, religion, commentary on politics (although admittedly not that much about sex). A variety show like no other, and definitely not one the Queen would approve of – which makes it all the more watchable in my books.
Flick Anderson has produced a truly delightful collection of short pieces. Not only is this a great show in its own right, it’s a fantastic opportunity for Sydneysiders to have a curated evening of theatre experiences. This is 105 minutes of your life that you will not regret. Laugh out loud funny, incredibly daring and wild, the sheer audacity and talent of this group of artists, technicians and performers is simply phenomenal.
– Elli
Elli de Ryckman de Betz is a lover of dinner parties, short story collections, and the theatre. Where has this perfect combination of the above been all my life?!
Welcome to Dinner – Religion, Sex & Politics is playing for one more night. Don’t miss your chance to see this explosion of fantastic acts, and support local theatre. Buy tickets now.
