Step right up, darlings, and hold onto your wigs – Tash York’s Chaos Cabaret is back at the Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival 2025, and it’s messier, fiercer, and more outrageously fabulous than ever. Known for her razor-sharp wit and powerhouse pipes, Tash doesn’t just host a show and put on a little performance – she commands a room like a glitter cannon on legs, igniting laughs, gasps, and standing ovations in equal measure. Dynamic.
If you’ve never experienced Chaos Cabaret, think of it as a fever dream cooked up by a drag queen, a cabaret diva, and a circus ringmaster after one too many espresso martinis. It’s part variety show, part choose-your-own-adventure, and 100% pure chaos – of the most joyous kind.
Tash York the character: A woman, dressed as a man, dressed as a woman WITH amples of confidence and a devil may care approach to pushing boundaries. York IS the performer we NEED right now to ruffle the feathers up a bit and dust off the cobwebs. But, there’s much more…
Controlled Chaos with a Side of Sequins
From the first note (Get The Party Started), Tash York has the audience in the palm of her well-manicured hand. With soaring vocals, on-point banter and a knack for razor-sharp improv, she steers the madness with the grace of a cabaret queen and the timing of a stand-up comic. From drinking red or white wine out of her ‘cask’ boobs (which she shares willingly with a willing and eager crowd) to self-deprecating humour, Tash is a freakin’ tour de force of larger than life charisma and she throws it unabashedly in your appreciative face. The show thrives on unpredictability – live audience voting steers the direction of each act, so no two nights are ever the same. It’s interactive theatre turned up to eleven, with a soundtrack that flips from Broadway ballads to disco bangers in the blink of a lash.
Star-Studded Madness: Meet the Guest Artists
Adding even more sparkle to the sequinned storm are three unforgettable guest performers who each brought their own brand of brilliance:
- Leather Lungs: With a voice that can shatter chandeliers and a presence as bold as their costumes, Leather Lungs is pure vocal fire. Their numbers straddle the line between rock concert and operatic spectacle, leaving jaws dropped and hearts racing. Leather, is a professional and holds their space on stage effortlessly and we are glued. Lock up your sons, husbands and dads.
- Diana Divine: A vision in yellow a bumble bee and a queen of the slow burn, Diana Divine (a disabilities advocate) weaves glamour and gravitas into every performance. Their act is a smoky, sultry ode to old-school cabaret – with a twist of modern sass. She’s the kind of performer who could sing the phone book and still get a standing ovation. A staple on the Adelaide burlesque scene, Divine know her sh*t.
- Thermodynamics: Thermo is a force. Comedy: Brilliant. Timing: Impeccable. Vibe: Crazy. Aesthetics: Kooky. Thermodynamics live up to their name – they bring the heat, they make it sizzle and keep it moving, quickly.
A Love Letter to Fringe Mayhem
This year’s Chaos Cabaret feels like more than just a show – it’s a random as f*ck communal celebration of queerness, creativity, and the glorious unpredictability of live performance. There’s no fourth wall here – just a shared space of laughter, shock, and the occasional impromptu dance-off and/or sing-off with plenty of jabbing.
Click through here for FULL PHOTOGALLERY
With a QR code you scan, the interaction with the crowd, alongside a monitor showing our involvement, is rich and clever as we help to direct where the show heads. Unique and well executed (with total chaos of course).
Whether you’re a seasoned cabaret connoisseur or a fringe festival first-timer, this show is a must-see. It’s got heart, humour, and high notes for days. Just be warned: audience participation is not only encouraged – it’s unavoidable. And frankly, that’s half the fun.
* Special nod to the twinky stage hand ‘Matthew’. Cute, funny and engaging, he IS part of the show.
Final note: ‘Chaos Cabaret’ ran one nght only during the Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival 2025. Fingers crossed it will be back again soon… If you’ve got a sense of humour, a love for spectacle, and maybe a glitter allergy (don’t worry, it’s worth it), snag your tickets next time quick smart.
Check out more shows in Cabaret Fringe Festival 2025 here!
