Carmen - Live or Dead?
A One Woman Show Starring - Natalie Gamsu
Created by Natalie Gamsu & Craig Harwood
Written by Craig Harwood
12 performances are scheduled for April 2018
in Sydney at the Hayes Theatre, starting April 28th:
• Tuesday-Saturday 7:30pm
• Saturday 3:00pm
• Sunday 1:00pm and 6:00pm
Running time: Approximately 75 minutes – no interval
Visit the Hayes Theatre Co. site for ticket information
Synopsis
At her last performance, maybe, Carmen Frieda Leon Davidovich, the illegitimate, intersex daughter of Frieda Khalo and Leon Trotsky, lays bare her hard fought life’s lessons until a final life or death choice must be made - with the help of her audience of course.
Natalie Gamsu is a singer, actor and cabaret artist whose performances have been acclaimed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Sydney and Johannesburg.
Born in Namibia, Natalie studied Drama at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. On graduating, she established a strong following on the South African cabaret circuit with the duo Strictempo, her own solo cabaret shows, the television series, The Big Time, (for which she won a series of awards), and appearances with the a cappella group, Not The Midnight Mass.
Some of Gamsu's theatre credits include Nunsense, Blues In The Night, Candide, Putting It Together, Sunday In The Park With George, Dr Zhivago, Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew), Fefu And Her Friends (playing the role of Fefu, directed by Maria Irene Forness), and Women Of Troy (Directed by Barry Kosky for the Sydney Theatre Company). She recently created the role of Abuela in Baz Luhrmans Strictly Ballroom.
From 1992 until 2003, Natalie lived and worked in New York City, performing at the famous Oak Room, The FireBird, Fez and The Russian Tea Room. She was also a regular guest at the Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention at Town Hall (NY), Chicago and Philadelphia. In her time in New York, she won the Backstage Bistro Award in 1994 for Outstanding Vocalist and a MAC Award for Outstanding Female Vocalist in 1997 and 2000. Her debut CD Weave also received a MAC nomination for Best New Recording.
Since moving to Australia in 2003, Natalie has performed in clubs in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth as well as at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. More recently, musical theatre has beckoned and she has toured with several productions.
In 2009, Natalie sang with a 19-piece orchestra for Ken Unsworth’s installation A Ringing Glass at Cockatoo Island and worked with him again the following year at The Art Gallery of NSW in House of Blue Leaves.
Natalie recently produced her second CD, a recording of her show Misfit.
Her current projects include a new Australian film, Ali’s Wedding, written by Osamah Sami produced by Matchbox, as well as creating a one woman show called Carmen – Live or Dead? written by Craig Harwood.