Just like the first ever Hell Haus event (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/10/23/hell-haus-production-review/) the entire event was opened and closed by the incredible Vanity Act. While this initial event took place in the upstairs of tiny rebel , the second iteration moved to the fabulous Fuel Cardiff venue which invited rock influences to infuse to love/hate theme over-arching the event. We were lucky enough to actually chat to Vanity about the Hell Haus events (which you can listen to at https://youtu.be/QBtsisDtCH0?si=pKpM43E6BXIwctPq) and they discussed the importance of having themed events in which the audience are involved with and this event did this by the bucket loads! My personal highlight of this set was an “I will always love you medley” which paid homage to the love theme of the event. Vanity had cleverly mixed together the original Dolly Parton version (which does not get enough recognition) , the iconic Whitney Houston version and that viral video of the young girl struggling to hit the notes. This medley was a beautiful dedication to one of the most romantic songs to ever be created really played with the love theme running through the entire event with the perfect sprinkling a comedic value due to the struggling singer.
What I think was insanely clever about Glas’ set was that there was a clear and cohesive narrative to the entire performance. Dressed as a character you could easily find within a video game, Glas talked to the audience about the problematic relationship between Mario and Peach in super Mario brothers franchise. I myself have noticed some of the most suspicious cycle of peach being kidnapped , rescued , returned to safety and Kidnapped once again so seeing a musical portrayal of this was wonderful. The routine started with a rendition of my Princess peach was was a clever combination of love and video games. After each performance Glas made sure that her spoken transitions were logical and introduced the next song wonderfully. After talking about their love of Mario the act then transitioned into a song about how the relationship doesn’t really seem that equal as the princess is constantly conveniently kidnapped. The track “Mario” by bowling for soup highlighted how people think Mario deserved better. Glas possesses a very optimistic and almost Disney-esque voice that fitted the happy go lucky undertones of the songs. In the second act however , Glas decided to pay homage to one of the most heartbreaking romance to ever grace musical theatre that being Satine and Christian In Moulin Rouge. Having also reviewed the west end adaptation of this movie musical (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/08/18/moulin-rouge-production-review/) we know that the roles in this musical can be extremely vocally challenging however Glas seemed totally at ease with the tracks delivering a wonderfully beautiful rendition of the medley!
For the second time this week (the first being at Cabaret of queerosities which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/02/01/cabaret-of-queerosities-2-production-review/) we were able to see the amazing Chae with a C take to the stage. They started there set with a wonderful rendition of “I’ll take you to a gay bar” by Electric Six but cleverly changed the lyrics to be about the hell haus events. The song choice worked wonderfully as it not only touched on the rock infused environment at Fuel Cardiff but also played into the fun entertainer style vibe Chae is becoming known for! This idea was only amplified as the performer led everyone in a game of pass the parcel. The gifts included half a trophy , a knife and a fork , lube and a condon which was so ridiculously silly but the audience loved every single second of it! The audience was also treated to a rendition of the cheeky song by the cheeky girls which has become somewhat of a theme tune for Chae at karoke events. My favourite performance of this set however was Chae’s performance of Tainted love by Marlyn Manson as it was such a sharp contrast to what I am used to from them. This heavy rock infused number saw Chae violent jump and stomp across the stage and altering their voice to fit the scream-centric track!
Now from a performer we have seen multiple times this week to someone no one has seen perform before is Vanity act’s drag daughter Aife Enfys! The first performance of the evening from Aife saw them grace the stage in a gorgeous white almost bridal infused dress which not only looked amazing but also fitted their song choice perfectly. They decided to perform the song “house on fire” by Mimi Webb which talks about an unhinged character out for revenge about an ex lover and the wedding dress element really added to scorned lover trope being portrayed. In the second half of the evening they graced the stage in a wonderful black vinyl outfit with purple fringe around the hem which to me was giving Ursula from the little mermaid (who is a character I absolutely adore) which made sense as both the debut performer and the iconic sea witch posses immense amounts of sass and beautiful vocal abilities! The second performance from Aife focus more on the importance of self love as they performed the incredible song “flowers” by Miley Cyrus! This song explores the importance of taking time to look after yourself which is obviously a very important message to every single person in the audience and Aife made sure that everyone got the message loud and clear!
Also making their debut on the Hell Haus stage is none other than everyone’s favourite sexy house wife AliBama. We were first introduced to this performer a year ago when they performed an emotionally powerful spoken word piece about their own gender journey (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/02/19/transition-2-event-review/) and the growth since this first performance has been absolutely mind blowing! In there section of the evening. The audience were treated to a wonderful rendition of ‘hot and cold’ by Katy Perry which provided an opportunity to AliBama to really flex their over-acting and comedy skills throughout. They owned every inch of the stage and the audience pit as they showcased their unique brand of comedy and high energy choreography. This was a very entertaining performance that had the audience laughing thought out! In the hate section of their performance AliBama decided to perform “what do you want from me” by Pink which appeared to be a very personal song for the performer. This would have to be my favourite performance of their set as AliBama seemed to pour absolutely everything into the performance leading to a highly emotional rendition of this song.
Overall , Hell Haus 2 showcased local emerging talents with a clear and cohesive theme running throughout the evening. The love and hate elements combined with the rock-centric venue of Fuel Cardiff to create a truly unique evening of entertainment that everyone could enjoy. I would rate this event 4 out of 5 stars! You can stay up to date with Hell Haus by dropping them a follow at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/02/01/cabaret-of-queerosities-2-production-review/ and I for one cannot wait to see what happens next!
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