Adore Händel gets around. In the past few months, they’ve spread the contents of their little black book in Melbourne/Naarm (their hometown), Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide (and they’re already returning for Adelaide Fringe 2025), and soon, Perth. Not to S-shame anyone, but if Adore Händel hears someone say “festival,” their mouth opens and sings, “I’m willing.”
So, what is Adore Händel’s Little Black Book? It’s a one-performer cabaret-style exquisite drag performance. The time-travelling pansexual spreads open their black book’s pages and shares the entendre-laden contents through song.
From losing their virginity in 1695 (pronounced, “sixteen…” “ninety-five,” you dirty-minded reader) to a virile farmer, to the emotional low points that come to even the most open-minded non-monogamous sort.
My plus-one, James, described the show as “Rocky Horror meets French opera,” and I think it’s a fair description. James also said, “This is the best show I’ve seen this year.”
What made it so great? I’d put it down in part to the costumes. The costume design brilliantly merges the baroque extravagance of Amadeus with the playful theatricality of Lumière from Beauty and the Beast, creating a visual metaphor for Händel’s blend of classical refinement and contemporary camp. This duality perfectly serves the show’s time-travelling premise while highlighting the timeless nature of desire.
The intimate lighting focused our attention on Händel’s face, transforming them from coy storyteller to passionate lover as each tale unfolds. Even the simple lighting maintained the timelessness of the theatre.
While Händel captures the visual excess of the 1980s perfectly, the musical choice jarred with the era’s signature sound. Where we might expect the synthesiser-driven pop or power ballads that defined the decade, we instead got something that felt anachronistic to the period being portrayed. This rare misstep briefly broke the show’s otherwise masterful time-travelling illusion.
As someone who has been reviewing performances for 31 years, it’s rare I leave a show and immediately want to see it again. (This last happened with Jeromaia Detto: MUSH). I plan to return and indulge myself in Händel’s brilliance. Why? I expect the performance will evolve.
Adore Händel has created more than just a cabaret show – it’s a masterclass in storytelling through song that transforms a simple black book into a time machine of desire.
Their ability to make centuries-old tales of passion feel immediately relevant to contemporary audiences proves that, while fashions and customs may change, the human heart and intimate desires remain wonderfully constant. This is precisely the innovative, boundary-pushing performance that keeps drag vital and necessary.
Adore Händel’s Little Black Book
The Piccadilly, 181 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide
Performance: 24 November 2024 – 7.30 pm
Adore Händel’s Little Black Book will be presented in Brisbane at Pip Theatre’s Toucan Club (6 – 7 December), before playing at Perth’s Fringe World Festival (20 – 25 January) and the 2025 Adelaide Fringe Festival. For more information, visit: www.lukebellecreative.com for details.
Image: Luke Belle stars as Adore Händel – photo by Bri Hammond
Review: Daniel G. Taylor