‘enGORGEd’: Reuben Kaye’s Part Cabaret, Part Comedy Show Is Entertainment Gold

To call Reuben Kaye’s enGORGEd – one-part cabaret, second-part comedy special that combines into a piece of entertainment gold – a charming show feels like a blindingly obvious observation to anyone who’s even got a passing knowledge of him as a performer. Yet it also feels like an observation that one must make, given that Kaye’s intrinsic magnetism is what makes enGORGEd such a knockout affair.

Yet it’s not just Kaye turning the charm dial up to 11 that makes enGORGEd such a delight. It’s a show that’s wickedly funny, impressively performed and surprisingly sweet when it wants to be, with the only major drawback of the show being that there was only one chance to see it as part of this year’s Sydney Festival.

Although the method of delivery in enGORGED may not be too surprising to long-time fans of the multi-hyphenate talent, the show nonetheless serves new material from Kaye on both the comedic and musical fronts that’s deeply entertaining.

Kaye’s opening quips after the first song are ruthlessly funny – an early joke about the Sydney Festival actually going ahead got one of the biggest laughs of the night – and set the tone early for the night. Boldly political, absurdly funny and truly unashamed to be queer, enGORGED displays a performer at the height of his powers taking the stage at Sydney Opera House… while looking fab, of course.

Reuben Kaye is a proper multi-hyphenate

The brilliance of Reuben Kaye as a performer lies in the breadth of his ability. As a comedian, he effortlessly charms and as a singer, he belts beautifully; and that’s not even mentioning his effervescent sense of style. They combine into a stage presence and show that feels wholly unique thanks to a refusal to conform – his willingness to play off the audience, band and longtime collaborator Shanon Whitelock makes enGORGEd feel loose, despite the apparent effort required to make it happen.

Yet despite the countless gutbuster jokes – and there are plenty, with tales of his time on the Jesus Christ Superstar set being particularly entertaining – there’s a serious contingent that runs through enGORGEd that makes it a little more than just an entertaining night.

Two songs in particular change the mood entirely; one an incisive breakdown on how homophobia starts young, the other a classic of Kaye’s catalogue that’s usually an ode to the audience, but is here dedicated to those who lost their lives to the AIDS epidemic.

That, alongside a willingness to tell his audience members to support the arts and songs about unreal wealth inequality, shows that Kaye’s bag goes far beyond just sensational performance. As he astutely puts it at the beginning of the show, he’s clearly someone who pays attention.

As he navigates a wide range of topics and contemporary anxieties throughout enGORGEd, Reuben Kaye solidifies himself as one of Australia’s most exceptionally funny and talented performers. In the hands of the thoughtfully foul-mouthed Kaye, this show is certainly anything but a drag.

enGORGEd played at Sydney Festival on January 16th.