Hans: Disco Spektakulär |L’Euro Grande | Until 18th February | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
In August 2022 cabaret performer Hans was on top of the world, he’d found success through appearances on shows like America’s Got Talent and was performing around the globe, then suddenly it all came tumbling down – quite literally.
While appearing on a European Cruise ship a trapdoor section of the stage was accidently left lowered and the camp German accordion fell four metres into the orchestra pit below. Airlifted to a Turkish hospital he’d fractured several vertebrae and shattered his foot. He was later transferred to London, and then spent almost a year in rehad, and as he proclaims at the opening of his new show – it wasn’t the kind that Amy Winehouse sings about.
Taking to the stage at the massive L’Euro Grande venue, Hans appropriately launched into Elton John’s The Bitch is Back as he shared photos of himself being wheeled into a Turkish emergency room is full glitter garb.
The party continued with a rendition of Crystal Waters’ 100% Pure Love as the host explained that this show would be a celebration of all things disco in many different forms. Introducing his two backing singers, the Lucky Bitches, and his band The Ungrateful Bastards, the party was quickly in full swing as they launched into Rock the Boat.
A master of banter, Hans shared that it was five years since he’d been in Perth and noted that he’d been worried that the removal of former Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi had left him worried that he’d have nothing to joke about, but he was relieved to discover that Perth had elected ‘Buffoon’ Basil Zempilas – potentially an endless source for mockery.
Noting the audience was filled with an older demographic he dubbed the front row 50 shades of grey, and throughout the show he joked about the audience’s age being at the higher end of the spectrum.
In a show that moved quickly through its different sections Hans made several costume changes, and one of the highlights was a sing-along medley of some Australia’s most loved rock tunes performed on a piano accordion. Midnight Oil, Yothu Yindi, Cold Chisel, Sherbert and Hunters and Collectors have never sounded camper.
When it came to audience participation Hans went much further than most cabaret performers, and the two men he plucked from the audience fully embraced being part of his glitter filled world.
An hour with Hans is a lot of fun, it’s packed with disco hits, and while encouraging the audience to laugh about themselves, he’s also putting himself at the centre of his self-depreciating jokes.
Head along to see Hans for a healthy dose of camp with lashings of fabulousness.
See Hans: Disco Spektakulär until 18th of February. For tickets and more information, head to fringeworld.com.au
Graeme Watson is an editor at OUTinPerth. He has a background in journalism, creative writing, dance, theatre, radio and film working as a performer, producer and writer. Graeme writes for a variety of publications and has been working as a reviewer since 1997.
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