Interview: Michael Griffiths of THE PERTH INTERNATIONAL CABARET FESTIVAL at His Majesty's Theatre

The first ever Perth International Cabaret Festival has taken over His Majesty's Theatre and is currently in full swing, with a blockbuster line up of seasoned and up-and-coming performers. Artistic director, performer, and Helpmann Award winner Michael Griffiths took a break from his crowded schedule of performing, rehearsing, and working behind the scenes to chat about how the festival is going and what he has in mind for the upcoming shows and the festival overall.

How has the Festival been for you so far?
It's really been fabulous. Unfortunately due to border restrictions we had to cancel some shows with Eastern states based performers, but there's still so much to be happy and grateful and excited for. We're not the first arts festival to face this problem, and the audiences and performers appreciate that we're all still doing our best. The shows have been excellent, the performers have been excellent, and His Majesty's is a wonderful venue to work in. It's really been a dream come true.

How did you keep sharp in 2020 without the opportunity to perform?

I actually went back to studying! I started doing a Masters in music teaching which was a good experience. I haven't studied since I completed my degree at WAAAPA, so it definitely taught me new skills. Not only do I have to consider how to teach and guide performers, but it was even interesting having to learn all the skills you need when you study; I had to plan my studying, do proper referencing, find sources and all that. I've had to defer that because I'm back to performing, and really 2021 is shaping up to be one of my best years with a lot of exciting gigs. I've already performed at La Boite and the Sydney Opera House with Steven Oliver, and it's so exciting to be in Perth now with The Perth International Cabaret Festival. It was good in some ways to not perform for a year or so, but if anything it made me appreciate the life of a performer. In a way I need the erratic, unpredictable life. I'm erratic and unpredictable, it suits me! Being back in a theatre makes me feel at home.

What does Cabaret mean to you?

Cabaret for me is about freedom, just with an audience watching. I spent fifteen years in professional musical theatre, where my job was to turn up and do exactly the same thing in front of an audience, but the magic of cabaret is that every show is free and different, and you can connect with the audience in different ways. It's still theatre, there's still laughter and applause, but there's a magic to it. There's something exciting about turning up on a night and wondering if it'll be the best show or the worst show. Then there's the setting. I love the wine and the candles in the audience, I love how it's informal, and the audience is rowdy. They want to sing a long, and laugh out loud, and maybe heckle you a bit. You get a lot from an audience when you don't know what you're going to get from an audience!

As well as your own show which has already wrapped up, you're also appearing alongside Carlotta and Steven Oliver in their respective shows. They're both big names, but they're also very different performers. How do you approach the different shows?

Both shows are about a unique individual and I hope I can highlight that when I work with them. They're both special performers, so whilst my main role may be to sing backing vocals for both of them I try to support their own originality as best I can. I really appreciate original shows, which I realise is ironic given my career is largely based on performing other people's work. I support originality, and Steven's songs for the show are all original. Getting Steven's show [Bigger and Blacker] to where it is has actually involved a lot of collaboration, because before he started this show he really only had a handful of demos. We've worked together on making the show happen, and I've helped out by arranging not only my parts but helping out getting it to be about the storytelling with a mix of pop and musical theatre stylings. Pop is really my first love, even before musical theatre, so to be able to sit in a pop space but really get to hear about Steven's own experiences as a gay aboriginal man, which drives his show, is a unique perspective to get. There's vulnerability to it, but at the same time there's hope and joy and family and resilience, and the audience leave feeling uplifted. Carlotta is similar, she is strong and fierce but also reflects on how incredibly difficult her life has been at times. Both shows are just really life affirming, and to be a part of the shows- even if it is just playing second fiddle if you will- is an absolute treat. I'm honoured to be able to share their journeys, and to be able to do those shows with them, hear their stories, and to be able to add a little be of me as well has been amazing.

As artistic director what was your vision for the Perth Cabaret festival? Has what you've seen so far met that vision?

I've been coming to His Majesty's for years and I've played Downstairs at the Maj a few times, so my first goal was to take over that space and we've done that. I dreamed of having it as a proper cabaret setting, so we got rid of a few rows of chairs and put in tables. It was very exciting because the first show in that setting was my show, so to be able to come into that and see what we'd talked about and imagined come to life was nice. It was amazing to perform to people there in that setting, complete with the tables and candles. As an observer, I've been able to leave one show, have a drink, then wander into another show in a different setting, and I feel that really captures the essence of a festival. It's what I hoped for, and to see so many people there embracing it was truly special. I also wanted this festival to showcase a diverse lineup of strong original voices... one night I went from Carlotta getting two standing ovations for her powerful show, into seeing Gina Williams who had the audience in tears with her beautiful voice conveying her beautiful soul, and that got me to appreciate the quality of performers we have. There is very much a buzz about being involved with it and in many ways, it's exceeded our expectations, despite the shows that we've unfortunately had to cancel. In fact, the festival has evolved because of what we've lost, and that's more of the magic of cabaret. I feel in musical theatre someone could die in the front row and the show just goes on as it does every other performance, but in cabaret you make something of each unique occurrence before and during the show.

What's the plan for the festival next year?

Nothing is set in stone yet, and we're still very much focused on what we have now because as we've seen things can change in an instant. Going forward though, there will still be a focus on quality and diversity with fresh shows. Cabaret is heavily steeped in history, but we want the Perth Cabaret Festival to give a nod to the old whilst eyes are facing forward. A lot of the shows this year are unmistakably cabaret but with a very fresh feel, and that's what we wanted this year and will want for the next Perth Cabaret Festival. Unfortunately one of the shows that was cancelled was Meow Meow, who is all about that classic cabaret style in a modern show, but in her place we've put in a Gala that we weren't originally going to have. So we've lost that amazing performer but we now get to come together and celebrate the artists that are here with a very special show. The response to this festival has been overwhelming, and it feels like the beginning of something very special. There's been something truly wonderful about having a festival in winter in Perth, and we don't know what lies ahead but the whole team plans to be back at it again next year. What life throws at us may be different and we'll have to respond to it and evolve with it, but that's what cabaret is all about!

The Perth International Cabaret Festival is at His Majesty's Theatre until June 27th. More information including shows and tickets can be found at perthcabaret.com.au

Photo thanks to Michael Griffiths/Perth International Cabaret Festival

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