Ca Va?
Ca Va? is a character driven piece of cabaret that explores the world of waitressing. As alluded to in the title, we are introduced to Helene the French waitress and hear the tale of her topsy-turvy life in the food service industry.
In Helene, Joanne O’Callaghan has created a wonderfully manic character that is instantly likeable. Donning a short black wig and maid’s outfit she comes across visually as the stereotypical sexy French Maid, but Joanne had given her so much depth. We are given just enough back story that we feel familiar with her and the often hilarious situations she finds herself in. In contrast we see some of the more darker elements to her life that provides some balance.
A comically thick French accent completes the effect. While engaging in some banter with the punters, she even tried to slip in a little bit of rudimentary French and with a knowing wink that the language was slightly beyond the audience’s grasp she reverted back to English. She chatted to the audience as she made her way to stage while singing her opening number and often punctuated her tale with questions to the crowd as a way of involving them in the narrative, just like someone telling you their troubles over a drink.
Audience participation extended beyond her patter with the crowd to involve a lucky fella who was treated to a serenade. This included some amusingly vampish behaviour that showed us an aggressive side to the character as well as showcasing Joanne’s abilities as a physical performer. In fact she made ample use of the Butterfly Club’s tiny stage to throw herself around carrying a tray to demonstrate the hectic world of the restaurant.
Joanne has been known to be a brilliant singer and she astounded us further by maintaining the accent while belting out the tunes. She sang a mixture of originals and covers with Ce Sera Sera getting a number of outings as a theme of sorts to the story. They slotted into the tale at relevant points and ran the gamut between light silly songs and serious ones.
Ce Va? was a great show that contained plenty of humour and warmth.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.