Ricki Lee named Artistic Director of Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2014
Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 11:40AM
As anyone who has produced their own cabaret show knows, creating the performance is only a part of the process. Marketing and getting an audience is a major component in making your show a success.
The team of David and Lisa Campbell have boosted the profile of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival enormously since taking over the reins for the 2009 season. The festival now gets a lot more national media attention, has struck a deal with the subscription tv service Foxtel and have courted artistic partnerships with international artists to present a very glamorous and audience friendly programme. They deserve a lot of credit for continuing to build the brand of the cabaret festival.
David has worked extensively in cabaret. I suggest that it was as a cabaret performer that he honed his performance craft, making his presence known both in Sydney (and around Australia) and New York. While he has since become well known for his main stage and television presence, David Campbell knows cabaret.
Does Kate Cebrano have equivalent credentials? In the press release I read yesterday there was very little mention of her previous involvement in cabaret, as a performer or as a creative. This is not to say that she won’t become a great expert in the field over the next two years - she is exceedingly bright and her vivacious charisma will serve her very well in making new cabaret friends.
The Adelaide Festival Centre has set the precedent of having a ‘high profile’ or recognisable Artistic Director and want to maintain the glamorous image of the festival once the Campbells finish their tenure.
However, Australia doesn’t have a lot of celebrities who are well schooled in cabaret. How long until Ricki Lee Coulter is appointed Artistic Director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival?
Subscribe to Cabaret Confessional via email
Reader Comments (2)
It's bollocks. It's clearly the slippery slope the Festival put themselves on with the appointment of the Campbells in the first place.
I'm sure David and Lisa have contributed enormously to the public profile of the event - but once David's done calling in all the favours he can, what's his grounding in actually putting a decent program together? Oh, here's a thought, you know who'd be great at that: JULIA HOLT.
While I can completely understand and share the concerns/trepidation of some people re: Kate Ceberano for various reasons, I think she deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt.
I'm being naive perhaps, but I'd hate to think that the festival that I'm so fond of and have attended for many years have lost sight of what's important and have resorted to gimmick and stunt casting of sorts. However, if the standard slips in 2012, I will join the bollocks choir at once. I've got my fingers crossed that I won't have to go down that path.