With sultry jazz covers of Eminem hits and pub classics, plus, as emcee Nona Mona put it, plenty of “t*ts and *ss”, Feathers & Jazz Soirée reminds us exactly why we love the Fringe: sparkles, chaos, drama and all.
Playing a limited run until Sunday 22 February, Feathers & Jazz Soirée is billed as something refreshingly different. It is a burlesque experience that trades grit for glamour and spectacle for style, while tapping into the warm pull of nostalgia through music audiences already know and love. Live music, showgirl spectacle and contemporary burlesque into a cohesive and visually striking hour of entertainment.
First, the setting. Fool’s Paradise is an incredible new(ish) addition, that reminds me of the Royal Croquet Club days. We love the Fringe in Victoria Square. The Vault is a great venue too, with rows of seating wrapped around the stage, prompting plenty of movement and interaction from the performers (I hope you like crowd participation).
The band were very tight, playing the crowd in to a bouncy jazz-pop rendition. If there’s one reason to see Feathers & Jazz Soirée, it would have to be the lead vocalists incredible range. From the top of each song, she’d launch into a strong, resonant lower register. Double bass, epic sax solos, crafty drum fills, piano, and electric guitar filled the room, and it sounded fantastic.
Across the night we heard jazz covers of ACDC’s Highway to Hell, Oasis’ Wonderwall, Nick Cave’s Red Right Hand, and plenty more.
Burlesque performers strutted on stage, shedding layers to reveal sparkling pasties, with cheers building each time and reaching a crescendo as almost everything was laid bare. The biggest applause of the night came for the show’s final performer, who impressively kept her tassels spinning for the entire outro of her soundtrack.
Between each performance piece was an extended period during which the emcee introduced the next act. However, without any backing track it lacked some flow and and unfortunately it broke the rhythm. Even some soft piano or brushed hi-hats in the background would have really kicked things up a gear.
Emcee Nona Mona was charming and got the room laughing, whooping and cheering, but a leopard print clipboard from which she read the run sheet made the performance feel somewhat underrehearsed. In line with that slightly chaotic energy, during Nona Mona’s first spiel a stage tech appeared in the background, blowing feathers into the faces of the front row, a moment I still can’t quite tell was scripted or not. Either way, it was hilarious.
Nevertheless, the overall show was exactly what we love from the Fringe: a little (a lot) bit cheeky, loud, audience members shouting to get some on-stage attention, and something you may never go and see otherwise.
As the audience’s applause came to an end and the house lights rose, we were ushered out to the sweet tones of an electric guitar cover of Tones and I’s Dance Monkey. Superb.
FEATHERS & JAZZ SOIREE
Venue: The Vault at Fool’s Paradise
Season: Wednesday 18 February, 2026 – Sunday 22 February, 2026
Duration: 60 min
Tickets: $45 – $49
For more information, click here.
Sparkles, chaos, drama, and cheek.
