Review: Skank Sinatra at the Loading Dock Theatre

Review by Alexa Hafner Keelan

From her adventures in South Africa to Berlin to Melbourne’s art scene, nothing was left out, revealing her journey of her rise to cabaret featuring nothing but the best music, vocals, and a lot of wit. Filled with glamour, Jens Radda, originally from South Africa, brings Skank Sinatra to life with anecdotes about life, love, and her journey to the stage, filled with humour and captivating vocals. This is a must-see for theatre lovers, musical lovers, and everyone in between. 

Whether you are a cabaret veteran or your first show (It was mine!), you are set to have an enjoyable night. The glitz and glam of Skank Sinatra in her eye-catching outfits does not fail to capture the room. Along with her comedic presence, she showcases parts of her life story that are no doubt engaging. 

Bringing the classic old school Sinatra hits to life with a modern spicy twist, covering many favourites including New York, New York, Bang Bang and many more. The soft and elegant nature of certain songs such as The Way You Look Tonight added an emotive touch to the evening that contrasted beautifully with the other banger hits such as New York, New York. 

The setting was intimate, reminding you of the jazz club scene in New York, It was the perfect setting.  Performed at the Loading Dock Theatre in Darlinghurst, which opened recently in 2024. The theatre is perfectly placed at the back of the museum so visitors can have a roam around before the show starts, or even wait at the bar near the theatre door for pre-show drink. The minute you walk in, you are transported into an underground jazz bar-style room with coloured lights and a simple keyboard and microphone waiting for the star to arrive. 

Skank Sinatra is an award-winning artist who has made her presence known with her winning Best Cabaret at the 2024 Adelaide Fringe Festival. Her dazzling stage presence and stunning vocals captures the audience, entertaining and exciting, bringing up spicy anecdotes in between song lyrics. 

She speaks about her partner Iva Rosebud, and how they met discussing the way relationships are maintained, yet the love they have for each other is what keeps the relationship alive. She touches on her Danish and South African background, and even shares many song lines in Danish and Afrikaans, which was a great addition while also bringing an Australian tone with a few lines of We still call Australia Home. Skank Sinatra is unequivocally one of the highlights at this year’s Qtopia’s Pride Fest. 

Image Supplied