It’s about to get transactional. Our fabulous gender-queer sugar baby, SUGAR is about to take us on an adventure like no other. They’re all about that intoxicating bad romance.
Starring Tomáš Kantor as Sugar, this cabaret follows our glamourous sugar baby living the dream of being kept, spoilt and indulging in that lustful lifestyle.
When I was invited to attend this cabaret, I was not anticipating the electrifying energy that Tomáš was about to unleash. This was one of the greatest performances I have seen this year. Tomáš captivated the audience with their loveable charm. Their confidence to captivate us was empowering and hilarious.
Visually, the stage paid homage to some of the greatest occult. Notably, was the movie poster for Pretty Woman; when you’ve got a friend like Vivian, you know you’re in safe hands. Sugar Baby 101? She probably wrote it. With other posters such as Notting Hill and Basic Instinct in the backdrop, SUGAR is practically telling us what to expect: an unlikely encounter that’s deliciously exotic and just a tad outrageous!
SUGAR contains storytelling that refines how you perceived some of our best loved songs, reinterpreting them through the lens of a deliciously intoxicating romance between Sugar and Richard. Opening with Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’, Sugar sets the stage for the wild journey they’re about to embark on. With their cheeky blend of sass and confidence, they sign up for 3 different outlets: sugardaddy.com, seeking.com and sugarbook.com – showcasing their best assets with simplicity, tag line: the sweetest. And as Sugar puts it, “the simplest profiles trick the mind” and in this case, probably hides the crazies.
With evoked emotions and a dash of audience participation – don’t worry, you won’t be dragged on stage – Sugar is the star of this show. Sugar calls forth for house lights from Spencer, the lighting designer to ensure that every spectator could feel the awkwardness of first meetings and those oh-so-uncomfortable moments that Sugar navigates throughout their late summer fling.
Intensifying the night as they dive into the art of negotiation – rates, worth and expectations, Sugar spins hits like ‘Overload’ by the Sugarbabes and ‘Prada’ Cassö, D-Block Europe, and Raye, beautifully. Their seduction is palpable, reflecting a newfound lifestyle with Richard that’s rich, intoxicating, and delightfully scandalous.
As every story goes, there is always a highlight and for this production, it was when Sugar retold their tale of self-investment: popping them tags to ‘Thrift Shop’ by Macklemore after the horrendous treatment at Gucci. This was a fabulous showcase of Sugar’s empowering humour where rejection does not exist in their vocabulary. I mean, who would dare to ghost a darling like Sugar? It’s not like they would ever catch feelings and become a liability – no way! So, Sugar does what Sugar does best when they’ve been thrown into the deep end and have been left isolated: getting petty and serving up a mean dish of revenge.
As the night draws closer to the last piece of the night, it felt like a reflection of their time with Richard. Meeting once again by chance in that dimly lit bar, Sugar embraces and accepts the closure they needed. Igniting the confidence they once had, the spark before they took Alejandro’s words of “Just pay your bills bitch, I ain’t your sugar daddy”. Staying true to their individuality, Sugar prepares to embark on a new adventure, just as themselves. Not Sugar, just Tom.
As Sugar puts it, are they just that petty bitch that would disclose Richard’s name? That’s for us to figure out.
SUGAR by Ro Bright and directed by Kitan Petkovski, is a 12-track must-see production by the brilliant team behind Bullet Heart Club. Don’t miss out on this hit sensation starring Tomáš Kantor. It’s a full house with SUGAR, so get in early or be devastated to miss the provocative floor work. Now playing as part of 2024 Melbourne Fringe at the Festival Hub, Commons Rooms until October 20th.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/sugar
https://www.bulletheartclub.com
https://www.instagram.com/bulletheartclub
Photography by Meagan Harding.