Fishman back on stage

Alexis Fishman will be back on stage in Sydney next month in Der Gelbe Stern (The Yellow Star).

Alexis Fishman will be back on stage in Sydney next month in Der Gelbe Stern (The Yellow Star).

Fishman, who burst onto the theatre scene in Dusty in 2006, will star in the cabaret show, written by James Miller and Fishman herself.

It is 1933, in divinely decadent Berlin. Feisty, sassy and always provocative, Erika Stern’s show embodies the excess and daring of her time. But as the Nazis rise to power, tonight’s performance will be her last. The lights go down and the audience holds their breath.

Germany enjoyed an explosion of intellectual output and creativity during the Weimar Republic (1918 and 1933) with the cabaret scene being one of its most vibrant and popular forms of entertainment.

Liberalism and political satire were key elements of Weimar cabaret and it didn’t take the Nazis long to start censoring artists and redirecting themes to suit their own ideology (the Nazis termed this ‘positive cabaret’). Jewish entertainers, many of whom were integral to the Weimar cabaret scene, were forced to pay an early price for their talent. The show comes to Sydney after a successful run at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

Chris King leads the three-piece band with Greg Jones playing the reed, Eric Hutchens playing the bass and original musical direction by Michael Lavine. Costume design is by David Fleischer and lighting design by Christopher Page. The show opens at the Seymour Centre on Wednesday, August 3. Bookings: (02) 9114 1555.