Aurelie Roque tells the true story of her bizarre journey from Kansas to Australia and she shares this story through anecdotes and songs. She promotes the fact that there will be no dancing (“she has standards”) and although I think she might be being modest, I’m very happy she chose not to take time away from singing. This show is worth 5 stars for her singing alone and everything else is a bonus!
Aurelie is accompanied by very accomplished and extremely talented Luke Volker. I could also give 5 stars for his performance and suggest everything else is a bonus. Combine the two and magic appears.
I will admit there were a couple of little first night “moments”, however they were so well handled that they were incorporated as part of the show. Seasoned performers never miss a beat and both Aurelie and Luke bounce off each other with banter and ease.
Aurelie’s story begins in Kansas and she takes us down the yellow brick road of her life. She takes twists and turns, sharing family moments such as some beautiful and humorous memories of her grandparents. Her friends also are mentioned as is her partner in crime. Aurelie also shares some insights into what it is like moving to the other side of the world and offers her perception of the impact social media can have.
The plot moves from light hearted humour, to belly laughs, through to sensitive moments and strong emotion. Aurelie herself showed visible emotion at times and also shared with us how she was feeling. This created a bond and connection between herself and the audience, which strengthened the impact of the show.
It is clear that Aurelie is an extremely experienced and talented musical theatre performer (with very strong lungs). Oh yes, she can belt out a tune! But there is so much more to her voice and performance than that. She sings with such nuance. A beautiful potpourri of flawless music. Her timing with Luke was impeccable and together they caressed and cajoled the notes through the instruments of vocals and keyboard.
This was a show that above everything, was just very entertaining. It was fun and accessible. The anecdotes were in turn amusing and heartfelt, with a clever use of songs to help tell the story. Aurelie is very relatable, authentic and enigmatic, with a dazzling repertoire of facial expressions and contagious energy.
This show is only playing for two more nights in Adelaide Fringe, so I recommend getting your skates on! Special offer of 20% discount when you book online using this code: Aclub20
Presented by:Call This Guy and Aurelie Roque
Ruby Slipper Chronicles is playing Feb 15-17 at
Main Room at A Club Adelaide,109 – 111 Waymouth St, Adelaide
Purchase tickets here
https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/ruby-slipper-chronicles-af2019
Visit Facebook event page here
