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There are curious ironies about the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. It was created six years ago at the behest of the South Australian government, largely with the aim of trading the city's then debt-ridden arts complex, the Adelaide Festival Centre, into the black.
In some ways, it has been a conspicuous success. Adelaide historically lacks a cabaret culture, but its burghers have taken warmly to this annual two-week event.
The cabaret festival generates little of the buzz of the city's main biennial festival, the Fringe or Womadelaide.
However, box office figures now tick over very nicely during what was traditionally one of the festival centre's leanest months, when the winter downtime kept its cavernous concrete interiors eerily quiet.
© The Australian.
