Review: The Unburdening of Dolly Diamond

Fan in hand and mischief in her eyes, Australia’s much-beloved cabaret queen Dolly Diamond shares all. Accompanied by her therapist-come-pianist, Diamond unpacks her youth and her romances, amid various other mid-life musings in an off-kilter, daring cabaret.

In a mauve, ruffled gown upon a red sequined dress, Diamond is a vision. She’s confident and commanding upon the stage and seemingly truly delights in her time with us. Coupled with some stellar, old-school vocals, it’s an enjoyable performance. While a handful of jokes are somewhat too on the line, Diamond clearly has a comedic flair which truly shines in scrutinising chats with the unsuspecting audience.

However, the therapy conceit falters, waxing and waning a little too liberally. Motivational sweet-nothings sound in between scenes but their comic potential is left untouched. Our resident therapist doesn’t fully have the opportunity to embody this examining role and Diamond’s self-exploration is somewhat cast aside in favour of some easy laughs. 

Urging us to question how our experiences shape us, Diamond brings a delightful glamour to self-improvement and reminds us that we can too. Although lacking some structural formalities, The Unburdening of Dolly Diamond is a fun and cheeky cabaret with a familiar heartiness.