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Elise Fabris is a singer, a mother, an actor, a tv presenter, a wife, a sister and a girl you should know. Driven to star on the world’s biggest stages but temporarily sidetracked by life, Fabris reclaims her place on stage with a cabaret of her life story with a little help from the showtunes that have defined her love for the arts.
Fabris’ writing evokes nostalgia for Australian school life, university days, the excitement of that first trip across the world and young love. The interspersing of songs with self-deprecating life reflections have a nice rhythm, capturing her character as the girl next door who feels destined for more. She’s a lot of the girls I grew up with, the song A Girl You Should Know (Somewhere, Somehow) introducing her awareness of just how many things she wants to fit into this one beautiful life and songs like She Used to be Mine (Waitress) and What’s Gonna Happen (Tootsie) evoking the occasional overwhelming uncertainty of how to bring it all together. Loss of loved ones and an unforgiving industry take a heavy toll on big dreams in With You (Ghost) but Fabris always bounces back, with songs like Here I Am (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).
A strong undercurrent of this story is the duality of Fabris’ experience, both loving her role as a mother but itching to be pursuing her dream career. Simple but effective costuming and a myriad of props take us on Fabris’ journey from bright pink heels and scarves of youth, shifting into dulled blacks as life moves sideways into suburban bliss. The first foray back into performing comes in the form of an audition season of chaotic colour portraying a baker, tennis player, and tap dance, until finally Fabris is back to the bright lights, main stage and standout pink dress worthy of a theatre starlet. Wyn Hyland’s piano accompaniment smoothly transitions between genres and withstands a couple of technical slips throughout the performance.
The chaotic journey of reconfiguring one’s life, achieves harmony and humour on this stage. Keep an eye out for future shows.
Rosé | Wine Pairing
A favourite drop for creatives and mums and a constant at girls nights, rosé’s plucky pinkness is its power.
My Pick: Bone Dry Rosé NV, Mudgee, NSW
This rosé aptly brings together a relatively diverse set of grapes from around the world, including Petit Verdot, Primitivo, Sangiovese and Merlot, to create a rosé that’s dry and delightful.
Tasting Notes
| Season | 25 July 2025 @ Phoenix Arts Club |
| Tickets | £18 (~$36-40) |
| Credits | Elise Fabris (Writer, performer), Wyn Hyland (Piano) |
| See it if you like | Cabaret, chic lit but with more depth |
| Wine Pairing | Bone Dry Rosé NV, Mudgee, NSW – buy it for $17 here. |
Toasting Aussie Theatre 