As I press play on the recording, a woman asks the audience if they are comfortable and if I am “feeling at home?” In the cosiness of my living room, while the autumn chills settle in Ōtepoti, I am very much comfortable at home.

Mr. Moon is part cabaret, part movement piece, and part circus performance. Audiences can stream this show through the C ARTS Digital Global Performance Programme run by Dunedin Fringe Festival. I applaud the initiative to give us access to pieces that may never make the long trek south. Through the screen, we spend less than an hour with the company as they tell the stories that lead them to be without a home but never without family.

Writer and director Eva Schumacher capably highlights the many skills of the ensemble. There is the multiple-instrument play of Mr Moon, the hypnotising vocals of Mrs Moon, and the incredible movement control of the two clowns. One may question what theatrical genre this troupe cannot expertly showcase.

The music anchors all these excellent physical performances. Snowapple, the larger international artist collective from which Moon Cabaret branches, creates music punctuated by brilliant brass and excellent percussion. All this musical brilliance accompanies the beautiful storytelling of the text.

The players dress in black, white, and pink clothing. Mo Benchellal’s costume design creates cohesion while allowing each character to become recognisable. A helpful fact when they are only briefly named. Our Diva and main MC for the evening is particularly striking in her entire pink ensemble, complete pink leather look trench and platforms that have her towering over the rest of the company. Marelva de Bruin’s makeup and hair add to this avant-garde, timeless circus world the performers occupy.

I fear that some of the atmosphere Moon Cabaret creates does not translate through this digital format. We see glimpses of the Diva’s entrance through the audience, a more powerful moment in live performance. When watching, I was unsure whether some latecomers were disrupting the performance. Despite its limitations, this recording gives a beautiful introduction to the many exceptional talents of this company.

Mr. Moon is one to watch, and I hope to see more of Moon Cabaret’s work in person in the future.

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