Australian Cabaret Star Hans Returns To Stage After Horrible Fall
Image: Image: Facebook
Four months after his terrifying fall during a performance on a cruise ship Australian cabaret star Hans is back on his feet.
Hans, AKA Matt Gilbertson, appeared at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide last month to record the Chat 10 Looks 3 podcast with Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales.
‘When The Icons Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales Call, I Answer!’
In a post to Facebook, he wrote, “Stepped on a stage last night for the first time in 14 weeks (since THAT night) and it felt so good!!
“Still slow moving on my crutches (and will be a while before I can do my show) But when the icons Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales call, I ANSWER!!! What a brilliant audience the Chat 10 Looks 3 Community are!!!!”
In August, while performing on a gay cruise, Hans fell four metres into the orchestra pit which resulted in five fractures to his spine, a shattered foot and ankle, and a visit to a Turkish hospital. After a visit to a Turkish hospital, where he says they gave him nothing but Paracetamol for two days, he was airlifted to London for surgery.
Appearing with crutches at the Chat 10 Looks 3 podcast recording, he talked about the incident.
Gilbertson started off with some advice, saying, “Just a word of advice for everybody, don’t rely on the Turkish health system. Not the best place for an emergency.”
He continued, “I was on this ship, it was – surprise – a gay cruise. Doing this show, being adored by all these poofs – loving it, and there were three hydraulic lifts at the front of the stage. We had planned for the final song, Proud Mary – I mean we’re on a gay cruise. Hello.
“That two backup dancers, when it gets to the fast bit, these boys were going to shoot up onto the stage.
“Unfortunately, one of the lifts was lowered in the second to last song and I was in the audience, went up onto the stairs, did not see.”
“The song I was performing at the time – My Heart Will Go On,” he added, getting a laugh from the audience.
‘A Full Bottle Of Urine Next To Me’
Sharing a story about his time in the hospital, Gilbertson told the hosts, “I had the surgery on a Friday and put a nerve block in my leg. It was quite hurty and, you know, more than paracetamol thank God.
“So Saturday I think, Okay, I’m not leaving this bed. Sunday I had a friend coming in the afternoon. So I thought okay, I’ll just stay in bed for as long as possible and about 3:30, you know, put some eyelashes on.
“Then, I get a knock on the door. [Studio 10’s] Angela Bishop has turned up. I look like a Scrag. I’m still in the hospital gown. And then, I look to the left. And there is, yes, a full bottle of urine next to me.
“It was my own – It’s okay. The glamour, the glamour never ends.”
