“This is definitely one to see if you like cabaret that makes you laugh while simultaneously making you rethink the value of life“
Beth Spencer
4 out of 5 Flybuys points
Club Voltaire (Melbourne Fringe Festival)
Melbourne
01 – 05 Oct 2024
If an asteroid was hurtling towards the earth and you only had one hour to live, you could do far worse than spend that hour watching “Hello, Asteroid!” at Club Voltaire as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
This funny and insightful one-man cabaret by Hamish Pickering was a journey through thoughts on life, love, and supermarket rewards schemes with the help of a logical (yet opinionated) voice assistant, and a collection of indoor plants.
In a piece that cleverly mixes just the right amounts of comedy, music, and drama, we meet Charlie, sitting alone in his apartment in 2094, as an asteroid is on a trajectory to destroy earth and everyone on it. This prompts Charlie to take stock of his life, his loves, and what it means when it’s not only you who is facing imminent death, but also everyone around you. While that plotline could make for a very morose evening, Charlie injects a regular boost of humour, music, and audience participation to keep spirits high. This is all while giving the occasional nod to his theatrical inspirations from theatre schools to playwrights and theatre makers.
Impressively Hamish has not only written the script and composed the music for this cabaret, but he also accompanies himself on the piano and guitar, adeptly transitioning between the two instruments as the story unfolds. The music was witty throughout, with a musical theatre quality, and a poignancy when required.
The lighting and sound were very well timed to support the narrative and the passing of the precious last hour. Although the flickering of the projector on and off (when not in use) was a bit distracting to some in the audience.
Hello, Asteroid! won the Julie Michael Musical Cabaret Award at WAAPA, and received rave reviews at the Perth Fringe World festival in 2022. This is definitely one to see if you like cabaret that makes you laugh while simultaneously making you rethink the value of life, with the bonus pleasure of experiencing Hamish Pickering’s wide-ranging talent.
Beth Spencer, Theatre Now
