Barry Humphries bids farewell to Adelaide Cabaret Festival

On the final night of Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2015, Artistic Director Barry Humphries took to the stage to announce he is handing over the role of Artistic Director to the creative talents of Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect, who will be co-Artistic Directors for the Festival in 2016 and 2017.

This year’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival has seen more than 350 artists performing and with 46 sold out shows has become the highest grossing festival in its 15 year history.

With Barry Humphries at the helm the Festival has seen a 12% increase in box office from the previous year, highlighting the Festival’s continued and growing popularity.

Commenting on the success of the festival, Humphries stated “my time as Artistic Director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival has been the climax of my love affair with Adelaide!

“Sitting in the audience night after night and hearing the response of packed audiences from all over Australia, I have become convinced that there is no other city in the land that could deliver such an orgy of entertainment night after night.

“I am passing on the baton for next year’s Festival to two artists I hugely admire, Eddie Perfect and Ali McGregor, and my only advice to them break rules and select comedians who know when to get off!

“You will be backed up by a group of seasoned professionals whose support and encouragement has made this one of the most joyous experiences of my professional life.”

With many years of Cabaret Festival history between them and a strong working relationship, Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect are two cabaret connoisseurs perfectly paired to take on the curation of one of Adelaide’s favourite winter Festivals.

As the new co-Artistic Directors charge headlong into planning for the Festival, Adelaide Festival Centre Chief Executive and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier stated “we are absolutely delighted to welcome Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect as our joint Artistic Directors for Adelaide Cabaret Festivals 2016 and 2017.

“They are well qualified as cabaret professionals to take the mantle from Barry Humphries who has given us such a memorable and successful Festival this year.”

Ali McGregor was recently awarded a Green Room Award for her contribution to cabaret and last year was nominated for an Aria award. Ali has a long standing love affair with the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, having first performed in 2009 with ‘Jazz Cigarette’, ‘Late Night Variety’ in 2011, ‘Alchemy’ in 2013 and kids cabaret in 2014 with ‘Jazzamattazz’. This show enabled the festival to grow and develop its young cabaret audience, an important area for the festival’s future.

Helpmann Award winner Eddie Perfect is one of Australia’s most diverse, respected and prolific writer/composer/performers. Eddie is no stranger to the Cabaret Festival having performed in the 2003, 2004, 2007, 2012 – 2015 Festivals. Eddie first appeared in Julia Holt’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2003 with ‘Cliff Hanger: Catch a Falling Star’, in 2004 with ‘Angry Eddie’, he presented ‘Shane Warne The Musical’ in development in 2007,’Misanthropology’ in 2012, ‘Shane Warne The Musical’ in 2013 and collaborated with Tripod in 2014 with ‘Perfect Tripod’.

Comments about the 2015 Adelaide Festival:

“The Adelaide Cabaret Festival has matured into a substantial and high-quality platform for entertainers…” - The Australian

“Between the divas, the miniature horse and a man in a bear head, there’s plenty of glitter, fun and champagne to be had, with or without Dame Edna.” - The Guardian

“(The Festival is now) firmly established on the arts calendar as an internationally acclaimed winter wonderland.” - The Advertiser

“It was more than a “nice night’s entertainment”; it was Barry Humphries coming home.” - Australian Financial Review

“A hit, a hit, a very palpable hit.” - Sunday Mail

The 2016 Adelaide Cabaret Festival will run from 10th to 25th June next year.

Images show Barry Humphries farewelling Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect (top) and Eddie Perfect and Ali McGregor together (below).

6th June 2015 - BARRY HUMPHRIES LAUNCHES THE ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL

19th May 2015 - FESTIVAL CENTRE REDEVELOPMENT TO RECONNECT ADELAIDE WITH ASIA

11th November 2013 - BARRY HUMPHRIES TO DIRECT 2015 ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL