Last night we were invited to check out the Fringe Festival edition of the After Hours Cabaret Club at the newly-relocated Wonderland Speigeltent – now located adjacent to Channel 7 Studios off Harbour Esplanade.

You’d be excused for thinking you were in a twentieth-century underground cabaret club as you step into the intimate, slightly hazy confines of the Speigeltent, the jazz music cranks up, you take you seat and slip into their old-world style of classic ‘anything goes’ entertainment. 

Hosted by a very talented Tash York (Desperettes, These Things Take Wine) – who also MC’s the club’s regular evenings at the Melba Speigeltent (in Collingwood) – the After Hours Cabaret Club mixes the best of old-world entertainment with a modern twist – offering a superb collection of talented, unique individuals for a top-value, highly entertaining Fringe collaboration. 

The club features bite-size snippets of talent from some of the nations best burlesque, cabaret, vaudeville and old world sideshow, backed up by a fabulous five-piece band – it’s a little bit charming, a little bit naughty – but overall funny and fabulous.

Starring a ‘Tease-Rex’, some tiny hands, tap dancing and burlesque, the After Hours Cabaret Club is a perfect performance length to take in a mid-week Fringe – and a great way to wrap up your last week of festival goodness.

The city-fringe location also means parking is plentiful so you can relax, enjoy the bar and food truck offerring – AND there is even a raffle on the night with solid (ie: better than a meat tray) prizes for those who enter.

Get along and support local talent for a raunchy, raucous night out tickets start from $25.

Where: Wonderland Speigeltent –  699 La Trobe St, Docklands
When: 21 – 24 Sept (8.10pm) & 26 -30 Sept (9.30pm).

More information & tickets: Check out their website. 

Words by Kerstyn Dance