The so-called ‘Godfathers of Alt-Cabaret’ return to Sydney’s Opera House this July. Bringing with them their inimitable musical style, this foremost avant-garde band will once again be conjuring up the macabre magic of pre-war Berlin and fusing it with the savage edge of punk that is unsuitable for children, devout christians or apparently the easily offended!

This show promises to be a ‘best of’ the last 20 years the group has been performing their part gypsy cabaret, part darkly humorous street opera. There will be all the obligatory deranged fan classics of course, as well as songs from their Grammy nominated album The Gorey End and a reprising of songs from their best known work to date, Peter Shockhead.

Formed in London in 1989, The Tiger Lillies garnered their name from a wild flower and an infamous prostitute that singer and accordionist Martyn Jaques encountered coming of age in the subterranean culture of the London underground.

As their nightmarish clown alter-egos, The Tiger Lillies bring to the stage a demented and humorous vision of the dark side of society. Their songs take a light-hearted approach towards subjects such as bestiality, prostitution and blasphemy. For anyone with a sizable dark side.

July 25. Sydney Opera House Studio. $30-35, 9250 7777 or sydneyoperahouse.com

Direct from New York, stand-up comic and actor Khalil Ashanti’s brings his critically acclaimed Basic Training to Sydney. The show chronicles Khalil’s real-life experience as member of an elite entertainment troupe Tops In Blue in the Untied States Airforce. Ashati plays twenty-three different characters in a hilarious depiction of his unique experience over there. The tone of the of the show then takes on a more serious note as Khalil reveals a life altering event that forces his attention home to face the childhood he’d rather forget. 

Born in Germany, raised in Japan, and now living in Vancouver, Khalil Ashanti has plenty of material for his dramatic endeavours. In order to escape an abusive childhood, Khalil enlisted in the airforce in 1992. After leaving the air force, Kahlil landed his own dinner theatre show at Ceasars palace in Vegas and went on to win the 2004 Montreal and Vancouver Fringe Festivals and the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival Spirit of the Fringe and the  Scotsmans Fringe First Award. Look out for the movie of his life, currently in negotiation.

June 23-July 4. Seymour Centre, cnr Cleveland Street & City Road, Chippendale. $32-38,9351 7940 or seymourcentre.com.au 

The no-frills set of benches displayed in familiar pattern hints that Devil May Care’s The Return involves a train. Lights dim and I am immediately caught up in the world of Steve (Alan Morris) and Trev (James Timony), two no-hopers from the wrong side of the tracks on a all-stations to Freo.

Likable-enough larrikins, a lurking dark side is revealed when Lisa (Emily Blatchford) a good-looking law student, joins them on the train. Steve and Trev attempt to intimidate and seduce her and incredibly, she plays along. It’s a little hard to buy, but enter Maureen the bored housewife (Clarrisa House) and a quiet writer (Andrew Johnston) and all is revealed.

His own hair-raising trip across the Nullarbor inspired playwright Reg Cribb to write The Return and it is a gripping tale. Unfortunately, though I initially found the script humorous and charming it left a bit of an unsatisfying aftertaste. Later monologues patronise the characters delivering them and end up sounding like trite cliches about the underclasses.

Perhaps Alan Morris’s portrayal of Steve could also have been more menacing, but his character is a little implausible anyway as he is far too articulate to have lived a life in the gutter.  Still, it all worked somehow and the audience certainly loved it. The Return is good enough entertainment to keep you on the edge of your seat until you reach Fremantle.

Until July 4. Newtown Theatre, Cnr King St & Bray St, Newtown. $20-25, 8507 3034 or newtowntheatre.com.au 

Fresh from sell-out shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival comes the lepoard print clad Russian Beautician Rosa, waxer to the stars. This perfectly plucked, primped and groomed one woman show featuring a follical-y unchallenged and unstoppable beautician treats us to cameo performances by Rosa’s clients Bert Newtown, Michael Caton and Jackie Weaver. This character based comedy cabaret also features Mark Jones as the world’s biggest pianist Boris Longschlongdongski. The show also frequently references sausages, bears, David Beckham and Russell Crowe.

The character of Rosa was born of an observation exercise at NIDA by graduate Marney Mcqueen and eventually became the full-length show that has received raves reviews from London to New York as well as an invitation to The Edinborough Fringe Festival. With the character of ‘Rosa’ Mcqeen has created a character that is somewhere between Sasha Baron Cohen’s Borat and Jane Turner’s Kath from Kath and Kim that employs all of her talents as a actress, singer, voice over artist and presenter. With bawdy, sexually irreverent humour and satirical observations about the grooming habits of celebrities, tales from behind the iron curtain as well as more euphemisms for a Brazillian wax than you can poke a stick at, Rosa Waxes Lyrical promises to pull out all stops to entertain.

June 24. Parade Theatre, NIDA, 215 Anzac Parade, Kensington. $30, marneymcqueen.com

P.G. Gilchrist’s newest work Catherine of Avignon is a thought-provoking piece on the importance of truth and purity of spirit in a world gone mad. P.G’s vehicle for his idealistic message is real life historical figure, Catherine Benicassa.  A well-regarded 14th century ‘mystic’ who had religious ‘visions’, the play follows her journey to the court of Pope Gregory XI in 1347, where she successfully persuaded the papacy to return to Rome. The consensus was that this would unite the warring Italian peninsula.

Though the set is almost non-existent and the costuming budget obviously tight, I am nonetheless transported back in time via the powerful performances of the entire ensemble. Inquiring and at times wickedly funny, I laugh out loud at many of the best lines expertly timed by Melissa Jones, who plays the wonderfully wanton Marguertie. Anne Martin is also a standout, giving a impassioned and inspiring performance as the headstrong religious zealot/political activist Catherine.

Written by director P.G Gilchrist, the script is the real star. Both poetic and whimsical, Gilchrist seamlessly weaves olde English and 21st century language to jolt us between yesterday and today at will. The problems and the turmoil of the 14th century are clearly still relevant to today’s crazy world.

Until June 21. TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst. $20-25 (Cheap Tuesdays, min $12), subtlenuance.com

Watch me tread the boards as I go head to head with other Karaoke wannabees in our attempt to get to the Australian Final and a shot at a trip to Finland to win 50 grand. Get set for my \’interpretive dance\’ in Wuthering Heights…