Witty, pretty and wild, performer, artist and writer Reuben Kaye has been taking social media and the world by storm with his unique camp, filth glam comedy. The cabaret sensation brings his show Live and Intimidating to Canberra Theatre Centre on 28 June. CW caught up with Kaye to discuss spotlights, performance and the ultimate form of punk.

1. Tell us about Live and Intimidating.

Live and Intimidating is exactly as it says but maybe a little less intimidating than the poster looks. It’s glamorous, it’s funny, it’s emotional, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster. It covers a little bit of the controversy of what has been going in my life in the last few months.

It examines how people are feeling right now about drag and queer people. Queer people are under a spotlight right now; I don’t want to shy away from those topics, I don’t want to shy away from telling the truth but I want to make sure I’m doing it in an extremely fun, accessible, interesting way.

More than anything it is a vibe, it is fun, it’s really a chance for me to kick back, relax and sing some of my favourite songs and crack some jokes.

2. When did you know that you wanted to be a performer?

In the womb. My first performance was my birth; the entry was fantastic but the clean-up was a bitch.

It was from the get-go, I think my very first steps, I was born to be a performer. As a kid, I had a dress-up cabinet that could have rivalled a Hollywood starlet’s wardrobe, I was ensconced in scarves and dresses from the day dot.

3. Working across a range of mediums, do you approach them differently?

No, I approach them all with the exact same amount of ebullience, trepidation and unearned confidence.

4. Why cabaret?

Cabaret is the original punk; cabaret is a response to society. It’s immediate, it’s fast, it has no rules because it combines all these different formats – it’s comedy, theatre, dance. It’s everything smashed together.

It’s entirely the performer’s decision as to what they make because they’re not bound to anything; it’s the wild west of art.

5. What’s next?

Therapy, and possibly a tranquilliser.

See Reuben Kaye in Live and Intimidating at Canberra Theatre Centre, Wednesday 28 June 8pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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