Film, theatre veteran Alan Cumming to replace Julia Zemiro as Cabaret Festival artistic director
A Scottish film and theatre veteran with more than 50 movie credits will become the first international candidate to take over as the Adelaide Cabaret Festival’s artistic director.
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Alan Cumming has been announced as the new artistic director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, taking over the role from Julia Zemiro.
“It’s been in the works for a quite while now. But I’ve been coming to Adelaide since the ‘80s and have always loved it, so this is an exciting opportunity for me,” he says.
The appointment makes Cumming the first international name to take on the role and with a huge theatrical output, it’s easy to see why he’s the perfect fit.
A veteran of more than 50 feature films, he’s been in everything from cult comedy Romy And Michelle’s High School Reunion to Jane Austen’s Emma opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, and a role in Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’s Eyes Wide Shut. He even had a role in the Spice Girls movie Spiceworld.
On Broadway, Cumming’s credits include The Threepenny Opera, a one-man adaptation of Macbeth and his iconic reimagining of the emcee in Cabaret, which earned him a Tony Award for Leading Actor in a Musical in 1998 and saw him reprise the role in 2014.
He even hosts his own New York City cabaret club- Club Cumming.
While he’s been quarantining at his home in upstate New York, the wheels are already turning on programming next year’s festival and according to Cumming, the turmoil that caused the cancellation of the 2020 Cabaret Festival is being used to an advantage.
“I was going to come to Adelaide this weekend and be revealed but then we were going to be meeting in Edinburgh this year to look at acts,’ he says.
“But because neither of those things are happening, I think it’s been positive because we’re not seeing all the hip and trendy people of the moment, we’re actively going out and finding the kind of acts we want. It’s given us the chance to press the reset button on the festival and really shape it into what we would like to see.”
Naturally there are still uncertainties around the 2021 festival, with restrictions around theatres and international travel still unclear, but Cumming’s mind is already running wild with ideas.
“When we look at the history of cabaret, it’s the moments of chaos that have always given us the best art and I think we’re now in a position where cabaret can help us navigate the waters we’re currently sailing,” he says.
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There’s even talk of Alan calling on some of his famous friends and luring them to our city.
“My gosh, could you imagine seeing Sporty Spice singing Pirate Jenny from Threepenny Opera?” he chuckles.
“Actually when I did Threepenny Opera, Cyndi Lauper played that role and I think she would be fantastic in a cabaret show. I love to see people in environments we’re not used to.”
Adelaide Cabaret Festival’s 2020 was replaced with an online offering, which saw Australian and international cabaret stars sharing their response to the classic line “What Good Is Sitting Alone in Your Room?”
The line-up included Cabaret Icon Award recipient and former Artistic Director David Campbell and Adelaide Cabaret Festival Artistic Director 2020 Julia Zemiro.
