Born Again

It’s Friday night at The Butterfly Club, and it’s the debut of Siobhan Judge’s one-woman cabaret comedy show, Born Again. Judge starts the show on a mischievous and winking note to her audience, beginning with a song about the “miracle” and the not-so-amazing by-products of childbirth (not limited to post-natal depression, vaginal tearing, and, oh yeah, the fact that some women do actually die during childbirth). 

The rest of the show continues on in fragments of original and parody songs, and comedy. That’s not to say that Judge doesn’t expertly mix the two. Her original songs are full of one-liners that linger on even after she has moved on to the next joke.

As part of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival, Judge’s show Born Again is a hilarious 45-minute autobiographical journey through her young life (she’s only 22). Following her opening number about childbirth, Judge sings us through her early childhood, discussing her Irish ancestry, and how difficult it is for Australians to correctly pronounce her name. There’s even a short, pithy ditty thrown in about the correct spelling and pronunciation of the notoriously difficult Siobhan. (The bh is pronounced as v —if you didn’t know this before, Siobhan Judge will teach you). 

The crux of the show comes when Judge forays into her strict religious upbringing in a Baptist church, which she describes as cultish. This is where the “born again” aspect of the show comes to the fore, as Judge illustrates what it means for a young girl to grow up religious only to pursue a secular path. It’s at this moment where Judge’s material is at its best. 

The funniest part of the show is where Judge pokes fun at herself for joining the new ‘cult’ of veganism. She even enlists her delightfully game Aunty Marie from the audience to join her on stage, where she makes her renounce her meat-eating ways for a plant-based diet. Hilariously, when her aunt refuses to join, Judge teasingly asks her to reconsider for the sake of the show going forward. 

To cap it all off, she also makes great use of the classic Aretha Franklin hit ‘Think’ — remember its famous crescendo of “freedom” ad nauseam? Think “vegan” instead. Judge pulls it off. 

The show’s comedic success is a testament to both Siobhan Judge’s flair for one-liners and punchy lyrics, and her decadent charisma. For the duration of the show, her on-stage pianist could not stop smiling at her as she whipped through her material, and, frankly, neither could I. 

Born Again 
The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, off Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000
thebutterflyclub.com