We all love a good gossip sesh. Whether it be with your besties, family or with your co-workers, getting the latest on that dishy situation can be rather therapeutic. Especially when paired with your favourite drink, usually a delicious glass of wine. But is gossip always good?
Well, thankfully we have Abigail Banister-Jones answering this question in her debut Melbourne International Comedy Festival show, ‘Gossip’.
Hosted at the Motley Bauhaus Theatrette in Carlton, the one-hour comedy show is set as a research project, with real life gossip about her own life, takes us on a journey through the ethics and history of gossip with a mix of cabaret, comedy, and even some burlesque. From The Bible, to Shakespeare, to Gossip Girl, Banister-Jones leaves no stone, nor apple, unturned.
The stage set with tables of wine bottles, a keyboard, and a side stand with a telephone. The phone rings, and Banister-Jones runs to answer it. In apparent disbelief to what she has heard over the phone, she pauses and pours herself a glass of Gossips Wine first, before returning to the phone, ready to hear the latest gossip from her friend on the line. The opener is funny, clever and draws her Melbourne audience into that feeling we all know too well.
Banister-Jones hangs up and before she gets the chance to tell us what she had just promised not to tell anyone about, thunder rings out in the theatrette and is seemingly threated with a smiting, which leads into the first musical number of how she ‘Might be a bad person’. With Gabrielle Cayoun on keys, the mix of music and comedy is clever and natural.
Equipped with a clipboard in hand, the research dive begins, leading to some hilarious results. Like, when you think about it, The Bible is just a book about the men gossiping about their own lives, all told through a single scribe’s view. That is gossip, right?
And of course, with The Bible, you have Adam and Eve and The Apple, which resulted in a series of apples being hurled at Banister-Jones from the rear of the theatrette. Just when the audience thought the apple attack was finished, more made their way over the seats, even hilariously hitting the mic stand.
Cleverly, Banister-Jones continues with the apple theme and plays a game with the Motley Bauhaus crowd. A somewhat, this or that game of gossip ethics. With her time as an usher at the theatres around Melbourne, Banister-Jones borrows some anecdotes from the wall of scandalous confession a recent production of Much Ado About Nothing. Banister-Jones brings these confessions to you, and the together, you get to decide if the gossip is ethical or unethical, essentially, good or bad.
Musically, Banister-Jones’ songwriting is as hilarious as it is clever. Expertly mixing lore, truths, pop-culture, musical theatre references, and all with a jazzy flair. Her vocals are clear, wonderful and can reach some notes that caught me by surprise in the best way possible. There is even a cheeky interlude number, themed around the forbidden fruit where Banister-Jones reveals some sparkly covered forbidden fruits of her own. And with nine musical numbers in the show, there are plenty of opportunities for Banister-Jones to showcase her unique writing style, intelligent humour and vocal chops.
Overall, Gossip is a fantastic show for a Melbourne International Comedy Festival debut. Although Banister-Jones is no stranger to the stage with three sell-out seasons of her mythical cabaret ‘The Story of Cerberus – A Very Good Boy’ at Melbourne Fringe, Banister-Jones is certainly bringing her brand of comedy to a whole new level.
Not that Gossip needs to be improved, but I can see how it can evolve with the addition of gossip or confessions from the audience that is in attendance for that show. Perhaps for another time, but I would love to hear the reactions as some dishy goss is read aloud.
And of course, the wine on stage is an actual product. Gossips Wine is from Meditrina Beverages in Griffith NSW, and every attendee has a chance to win a bottle with a raffle drawn at the end of the show. I was lucky to have my ticket, 69, drawn. Yes, that did happen, and no, this is not sponsored! But if you needed a little incentive to see and hear a little Gossip, winning free wine is as good as any!
Abigail Banister-Jones has created a brilliant show that showcases her unique style of jazzy musical comedy. It is an impressive feat for Gossip to be her Melbourne International Comedy Festival debut, and I cannot wait to see what she does with her next show!
Abigail Banister-Jones’ Gossip is currently on at the Motley Bauhaus, Theatrette every night this week until Sunday the 29th of April 2026.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.comedyfestival.com.au/browse-shows/gossip
https://www.instagram.com/abi_ban_jo
Photography by Chiara Mascaro.