Review by Tatum Stafford
Dazzlingly dressed and with a voice to die for, Adore Handel’s Fringe offering, ‘Little Black Book’, is a real treat for audiences with a sense of humour and a penchant for the playful.
As the show starts, we are introduced to Adore, a pansexual time-traveller who is here to share his naughty secrets and dating history with us. Adore’s ‘little black book’, in this show, is a large, ornate blue book propped upon a stand and seemingly filled with many names of men and women they have wooed and been wooed by over the decades.
Adore has a phenomenal singing voice, and treated us to many versions of classics like “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, and “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton (a clear crowd highlight). There are also a few original songs scattered throughout that were hilarious and very well sung.
The show was quite formulaic, in that we’d hear a story about a past lover, and then enjoy a song related to Adore’s experience with them. This was occasionally interwoven with some audience interaction with Adore’s friend ‘Gladys’, which happened to be myself on the night I saw the show (note to the reader, avoid the front few rows if you don’t want to be heavily involved, but I didn’t mind too much), and his confidant ‘Peter’, who is permanently offstage and often referenced.
There were a few more storytelling elements included, where Adore would receive a letter, or dive into a saucy monologue equipped with plenty of era-appropriate puns and wordplay. These were a welcome switch-up, as the song to story to song order did become a tad predictable at times - though Adore is definitely a stunning singer and charismatic actor.
The drag elements of the show are superbly done; Adore looks the part from head to taffeta toe. Their costume is absolutely stunning and shone beautifully under the lights. The tech within the show is simple yet effective, with lights changing to match the mood of different songs, and the sound balance in the venue was at a great volume, with Adore wearing a head mic throughout.
Overall, this was a super fun, raunchy, and energetic showcase of Adore Handel’s many talents. A solid show and fun night out if you’re a fan of cabaret, drag, and raunchy comedy. Adore’s outfit is almost worth the ticket price alone!
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