Review – The Upside-Down Girl

Anya Anastasia, of cabaret group Bird Wizdom, makes her solo debut in this delightful piece of cabaret that showcases the artist’s stellar talent in both singing and song-writing. The Upside-Down Girl of the title is a forgotten imaginary friend who must find ways to pass the time in her fictional world. This becomes a clever device to connect together Anastasia’s quirky brand of songs. These songs range from light comedic numbers to sombre narratives that are wonderfully crafted by this lovely songstress. Anastasia has a knack for eccentric lyrics that are beautifully expressed in lovely evocative tones.  Anastasia is enchanting as she creates a warm and whimsical atmosphere via her ukelele, keyboard and beautiful vocals.

One will find themselves taken by Anastasia’s charisma and contagious smile in this cute and kooky cabaret. The only disappointing element of the show is that the potential of the concept is not fully realised, with no clear conclusion to this tale of a forgotten imaginary friend. It is a cabaret show so the priority is music above narrative and Anastasia delivers on this element in fantastic fashion.