The Stage

In The Shade

There can be no denying that David Leddy is a talented and enthusiastic performer. He bounds through this near schizophrenic show with limitless energy and a surprising willingness to humble himself by portraying a range of progressively more grotesque and unusual characters.

With the help of mood-setting music from Pippa Murphy, it is initially a very entertaining show. Leddy’s writing, while not completely original, hovers enticingly just on the fringes of the socially acceptable. No stone is left unturned in the shady world of cabaret’s dark side, and there’s more than one subtle dig at the performers happy to turn themselves black to steal some soul magic.

LaToya Levine, we are told, is the world’s only psychic soul sister, and for our entertainment she channels the voices of Tina Turner, Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin with gusty tempo and roof-raising ardour. But Leddy’s displays of diva-esque karaoke prowess are interrupted by snatches of stories; the sexual exploits of LaToya’s drag queen past, the jealous ravings of fellow singers once slighted, now out for revenge. It is a complex mix, and a story so bizarre and challenging it is often hard to follow.

This, presumably, is the point. We are lost in this alien world of wigs, wheelchairs and prejudice, invited cordially to enjoy the ride, but ultimately left wondering what on earth just happened.

With Lisa Cochrane’s strange and inventive costuming, LaToya strips off her colourful layers until Leddy is left with just the bare bones of a life in ruins. What a way to go.

Jenny Tweedie, May 2005