Jens Radda: Skank Sinatra -Sydney Fringe Festival (2023)

Reviewed by Juliana Payne

Sydney Fringe Cabaret Club - Castlereagh Boutique Hotel

12-16 September

Tickets: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/jens-radda-skank-sinatra/

3 STARS

- A playful night of double entendres and new takes on classic lounge tunes. Go see it! -

I really don’t know why Jens Radda calls his drag alter-ego ‘Skank’ because she is anything but. More like a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, Skank Sinatra delivers a glamorously funny night of bawdy double-entendres, political gags and parodies of classic lounge tunes.

Jens Radda: Skank Sinatra. Provided by Sydney Fringe Festival.

Radda gives us a potted version of his life story, speckled with jokes and songs to highlight the lowlights. In a lovely rich contralto voice, we hear hilariously reworked classics, like 'Please Take Her Away From Me' and 'Bang Bang'. He’s a versatile performer, with a very funny and very well executed piece on the renownedly exclusive Berlin club 'Berghain', complete with German techno accompaniment. We hear 'Fly Me To The Moon' in several languages, and then a gorgeous classic rendition of 'That’s Life' to send us back out into the night.

Jens’ comedy is allusive, absurd and hugely entertaining. Not sure whether the short tech guy assisting was part of the act, but he nearly upstaged Jens, what with his missed cues and not being able to reach the follow-spot which towered above him. A true pro, Jens didn’t miss a beat and simply incorporated it into the act to the audience’s delight.

This is a bit of short review, as the show is on a short run, and we need to get this posted so that people can read it and get to the show. Its starts late, so you can grab a nice dinner and a few drinks in the city, and head to Skank Sinatra for a fun and playful night out.

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Plan your Sydney Fringe this September by heading to their website for the extensive list of what's on offer. Visit: https://sydneyfringe.com/whats-on/