Cabaret Festival Review: Monsieur Camembert – Cohen Noir: The beauty, mystery and romance of Leonard Cohen

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A musical experience like no other – immersive, poetic and moving

Presented by: Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed: 19 June 2026

Monsieur Camembert is a three-time ARIA award-winning band that blends gypsy jazz, swing, tango, and Latin music, this time through the lens of Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen’s haunting songbook.

The 10-piece band is bursting with talented musicians, narrated and led by Yaron Hallis. Utilising quotes and recordings of Cohen’s poetic views on life, this two-hour performance showcases the beauty and depth of his work on the Dunstan Playhouse stage.

The unique arrangements of classics like Suzanne, Bird on a Wire, and Hallelujah are interwoven with snippets of poetry and some of the lesser known tracks from Cohen’s discography, although the sell-out audience on the night were happy to sing along at every opportunity to really bring the ensemble community together. The band is impressive with solo moments for each, including everything from bluesy tenor saxophone (Matthew Ottignon) or double-bass (Mark Harris) to haunting throat singing (Bukhu), violin (Ben Adler and Susie Bishop) and more. The texture and richness of this ensemble gives all the depth required for Cohen’s art.

The band is joined by soloists Diana Rouvas, Timothy James Bown, Lyn Bowtell and Susie Bishop (emerging from behind her violin in the band). These soloists are all supremely talented vocalists but their connection to the music itself and with the band was really spectacular. Add in the 50-person community choir from Port Adelaide, Born on a Monday and the production builds to an epic, almost religious experience that raised the roof and brought tears to many eyes. Cohen’s most famous work, Hallelulah was a showstopper and a highlight but merely a bar set for the quality of every number.

This show is for the Cohen die-hards. The ones who have listened to his work for decades and have a soulful connection to his work. For the uninitiated, the concert could benefit from an injection of more storytelling about Cohen himself and the connection of his lyrics to his world view, but the beauty of this art-form cannot be denied. A real treat for any music-lover that certainly fits this year’s Cabaret theme of “delicious revolution”.

Reviewed by Hayley Horton

Photo credit: Claudio Raschella