As expected, Reuben Kaye never fails to delight, warm, familiar, engaging, swooping and swooning through the crowd as Reuben Kaye’s Happy Ending, the last show of Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2026, starts. Unflinching and delightful, he opens with a rendition of the apt The Party’s Over.
On the closing night of his first year as Artistic Director of Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Reuben spoke of the joy and honour of programming the festival, and being able to both show audiences familiar and unfamiliar talents. His curation this year saw a focus on Australian talent, while of course featuring some international acts as festival audiences expect.
As with all of the late-night shows in the Banquet Room at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Reuben Kaye’s Happy Ending gave us a variety of acts from both within the festival and some others that perhaps we may see in future years. Libby O’Donovan who had her show Short in this year’s festival, Brendan de la Haye who had appeared at The Kaye Hole and The Gutter the night before, Jego Lareto from the class of cabaret, and Michelle Braiser, who while not in this year’s festival, is no stranger to it, and is currently just down the road at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Pretty Woman. The performances were backed by the wonderful house band with Shanon D. Whitelock on piano, Felicity Freeman on bass, and John McDermott on drums.
Libby O’Donovan declared that the song she was performing was one chosen by Shanon [D. Whitelock], the musical director (and on piano) for the night and so if we “don’t like it, it’s Shanon’s fault”. The choice was Turn Me On, which showed the always impressive and powerful voice that O’Donovan has. Jego Loreto, from the Class of Cabaret and who performed in this year’s Homecoming: Class of Cabaret Graduates performed Stevie Wonder’s I Wish, a soulful R&B performance. He had the audience grooving in their seats.
Next up was Brendan de la Haye, dressed as a high-heeled flamboyant harlequin complete with a deep purple coloured feathered collar. He too entered through the crowd, and performed Misty, Erroll Garner’s 50s jazz standard. A delicate, slower moment in the show that saw the Banquet Room sit still in stunned silence at the beauty of De La Haye’s voice, and costuming.
Michelle Brasier took to the stage and performed both a song she’d written herself about a friend she named Sally, which offered a poignant moment before Reuben Kaye asked her to “give them Celine”, which saw Brasier launch into an impassioned It’s All Coming Back to Me Now, showing us why she’s an Adelaide Cabaret Festival darling with one hell of a voice.
The Adelaide Cabaret Festival’s own head of marketing even had a turn in the show. Accompanied by Kaye himself on vocals, Sapphire Snow, glamourous as ever teased and titillated the audience as every burlesque performer should. You may find yourself blushing when you see her in her day job now.
Kaye proved just how appreciative he is to have been given the opportunity but also thanked all of the people that help bring the festival together, whether it be the producers or the ushers. He proved himself to be truly humble.
The night wasn’t over yet, Kaye still had two more songs to fill us up with for the rest of the year. The scandalous, at time of release, Charles Aznavour’s Sailor Boys about sexual awakening, and lost innocence had the whole audience ready to sail with Kaye. His performance of Mary Hopkin’s Those were the days sent us out into the night, but not before he and festival staff swooped into the room filling the audience’s glasses with bubbles.
Reuben Kaye’s Happy Ending and the 12 days of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival left audiences satiated but excited for what Kaye will program for 2027, a program already in the planning. It sounds like this delicious revolution (this year’s tagline) may just be getting started. If this ‘delicious revolution’ is only just beginning, Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2027 promises plenty more to savour.
5 CROISSANTS
Matilda Marseillaise was a guest of Adelaide Cabaret Festival
