Minnie Cooper Serves Cabaret Magic In New One-Night-Only, One Woman Show

One of the city’s most iconic drag queens and cabaret artists, Minnie Cooper will be bringing an evening of song and storytelling to Sydney’s newest theatre.

TEATRO at Leichhardt’s Italian Forum is set to open its doors this month in a glittering season of one-night-only cabaret shows from some of Australia’s top musical talent, with staples of the Australian theatre scene, Gale Edwards and Max Lambert at the helm.

Cooper will be taking over the venue on November 18 with her one-woman show There’s Nothing Like A Dame, reflecting and celebrating on her 22 year-long career in drag.

“It”s sort of a retrospective of a lot of favourite stuff,” Cooper said. “It’s got some classic Minnie Cooper numbers that I’ve done over years that I usually mime, but I will be singing live.

“There’s something about live singing that you don’t get with miming, that human connection.”

Cabaret is a staple of the DIVA Hall of Fame honouree’s repertoire, with her acclaimed show Chorus Boy to Leading Lady winning Best Cabaret & Musical Theatre Show at the Sydney Fringe Festival this year.

Cooper says cabaret gives her a chance to interact with audiences in a different way than drag shows at her usual haunts at venues around the city.

“You can get more personal and get to see the man behind the makeup,” she said.  “In a pub or club, you don’t really get to see that, it’s more transactional.”

Fundamental belief in the importance of artistry

Cooper took a masterclass on the art from the Tony Award-winning Faith Prince during a visit to New York, with the Broadway actor emphasising the fundamental differences between cabaret and theatre.

“She said it was all about storytelling, which inspired me,” Cooper said. “I’m not the best singer, but I like to tell stories through song.”

This month, the TEATRO and its hand-picked performers will be giving Sydney a strictly-limited three week-long opportunity to go out and support local, Australian artists. In a world that’s increasingly being dominated by international acts, it’s a precious chance for audiences to put their values into action.

“If we don’t have these kind of spaces, then the art form is going to die, whether it’s theatre or cabaret,” Cooper said. “So we need these spaces for artists to be able to survive, and we need artistry in the world, I truly believe that.”

Cabaret at TEATRO runs from 4 November – 22 November. Buy tickets here.