In Ramblings Kristilee Ransley takes us on a musical trip around the world, reliving her time as a piano bar singer. Craig Blundstone meanwhile, drenches himself in sweat playing all the characters she meets on her year long odyssey. They explain their show in a very down to earth manner and we begin in Copenhagen where Kristilee finds herself abandoned by the boyfriend who drew her there. Young and naive, she sends e-mails home lying to her family about what a great time she is having and gradually finds her feet using her skills on the piano.
The bulk of her time overseas is spent in Dresden playing a piano in an Australian themed bar where audiences ignore her and she meets a variety of characters, the most fun and well drawn being her gay friend Arnold which Craig obviously has a ball playing. She soon takes up the opportunity of big money playing in a Hilton Hotel – in Casablanca – and is ecstatic to be so well received by her audience, but not so happy about men’s treatment of her where ever she goes. Casablanca turns out to be a famed red-light district in Morocco and she’s more than happy to move on to what she has thinks is a top job on a Nordic Cruise Liner, but is soon fighting off drunks and loony’s. Next is working wearing plastic teeth in a Dracula theatre restaurant in Singapore and she reaches a turning point. She’s so close to Australia, should she come home?
She sings piano bar style songs throughout the show to evoke atmosphere and some of the songs, particularly the more robust ones, such as Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’ suit her voice better than others. As a piano singer, I guess you have to be versatile and able to sing in all styles, and in Casablanca you have to never tire of singing “As Time Goes By” over and over and over. Despite everything she goes through and the nutters, the drunks and the sleaze bags she realises she loves her chosen career.
Kristillee could have performed this show on her own, telling the stories and singing the songs, but Craig is such a brilliant, comical, character actor he transforms the show into something truly special. If you can squeeze in a late show at Trades Hall, this is a heap of fun.
For booking details go to Ramblings