There’s a sweet tenderness behind Hew Parham‘s popular clown character of Rudi. As the audience came to realise through the duration of Rudi’s The Rinse Cycle last night at the Festival Centre’s Artspace, Rudi is much more than a young clown put on stage to make us laugh.
Those who were at the Cabaret Festival’s Variety Gala on Friday night got a very small introduction to Rudi but last night we were able to meet him properly as he took us through some cabaret ‘classics’ and vaudeville, under the guiding a ‘theatrical construct’, voiceover provided by Sarah Dunn. With Aaron Nash on piano, we see Rudi dip into Porter and Weill’s catalogues, begrudgingly include ‘Australian content’ (to great response) and introduce us to an alcohol-soaked cabaret diva alter ego all in one hour.
While Rudi is incredibly engaging and funny, the subtleties in Parham’s performance are just as captivating. When Rudi isn’t walking invisible tightropes or comically undergoing costume changes and battling disobedient suspenders, little twitches in his facial expressions and glints of sadness that brush over his face as the music changes even slightly are equally as arresting.
There are some things that Rudi doesn’t quite understand but instead of being forced to adapt to how tradition or convention would dictate, we see him find his own way and once he hits his stride and becomes comfortable with the audience; that initial nervousness and innocence blossoms into an achingly funny confidence.
Without giving too much away about the show’s story itself, the audience does embark on a little journey with Rudi as the show continues. You don’t realise you’re watching an artist put on a character until certain moments; when Rudi dons the ‘Australian uniform’ of a flannelette shirt and recites a hilarious few minutes of dialogue complete with strong Strine, you remember that Rudi himself is actually a creation of someone else as well. It’s testament to Parham’s all-in approach to his character construction and delivery – the audience is pulled from scene to scene, each evoking a different set of emotions.
There are two more shows left for Rudi at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival (tonight and Monday afternoon) – I’d encourage you to snap up tickets while they last. Rudi’s place on the Cabaret Festival program has been an early highlight and we hope to see him again soon.
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Head HERE for more information on tickets!
Image: Sophie Armstrong
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