Type – Solo cabaret, live band
If you liked – Christie Whelan-Browne’s Life in Plastic, Meow Meow
BAD HAND: An hour of Nat Abbott’s divine singing, sharing her uplifting, funny, and powerfully moving journey with grief
Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf Theatre has been transformed into a cabaret club with low, moody lighting from warm hued table lamps and vintage-style reflective lamps which flood the stage – lighting the evening’s immaculate vibes. Large, framed photos of previous shows hang on the 3 curtained walls, there’s cabaret style seating up the front and a bar off to the side. On the semi-circular stage, Natalie Abbott is joined by her 4-piece band, led by Musical Director Ben Kiehne on a gorgeous Kawai Crystal Grand, Rhys Fuller on guitar, Alysa Portelli on drums and Dom Cabus on bass, as well as AUSLAN interpreter Melissa Smith on opening night.
Opening with an upbeat country number on guitar, the audience warms to Abbott straight away with her true-toned vocals and the sparkliest smile. She’s chatty, and vulnerable, while charming the audience with her heartfelt and honest banter as she warms into the swing of the work.
I was lucky enough to chat to Nat last month and learn more about how the work developed and what it means to her. We talked about the writing process which included notes sessions from industry professionals who gave her feedback that focused on wanting more dialogue. I can see why.
“What is a bad hand?” she asks. “Is it a flat tire? Or missing the bus?” Pondering about whether the hand we’re dealt is choice or destiny, she talks about how our circumstances and experiences shape who we are. Abbott asks the audience to close their eyes and picture their childhood selves, getting us to imagine the adult life we pictured for ourselves when we were young. She’s so warm and open hearted, it makes me feel like I’m having a chat with an old friend.
Tragically, Nat’s partner Ryan Cuskelly died unexpectedly and suddenly in 2024. Bad Hand her debut cabaret delves into the bruising and battering 18 months that have since passed. As the work unfolds, over the speaker we hear her voice, chatting and introducing us to her grandma, Nanny Abbott. She’s asking Nan about her childhood dreams and experience of coping with grief after becoming a widow. And just in case that wasn’t beautiful enough, Nanny Abbott was in the audience, beaming on opening night.
Musically, Abbott takes us on a journey through genres and eras with arrangements of a Rogers & Hammerstein musical number, pop ballads by icons like The Beatles and Tina Arena, as well as reflective and spine-tingling acoustic arrangements of Aussie rock pop pieces. Her rich and powerful vocals bring such attuned musicality and there’s superb ensemble cohesion through each number with tight vocal harmonies supporting.
As the work nears its end, the rendition of Hunters & Collectors’ ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’ brought the pace down a notch. With such an understated yet lush arrangement, her deeply moving interpretation and performance had me feeling like I was listening to the lyrics for the first time; in a way I’d not heard them before.
Is BAD HAND Worth Seeing in SYDNEY?
“It’s not just a sad cabaret all about grief.” She says; “I also want people to know that this is a comedy show. It’s going to be uplifting and I hope that it’s a celebration of life as opposed to a reminder about the loss.” Despite the devastating nature of such an experience, Bad Hand is filled with many funny and relatable (“let’s hear it for therapy!”) moments, and how welcoming she’s found the ‘grief club’. She says “It’s definitely a tribute for [Ryan], but it’s also written in a way that it’s not telling his story without his permission. I wanted it to be about my journey through grieving him.”
The encore was darkly hilarious, and such a fun finisher – I wont tell you what the song is, but it’s yee-haa country, it’s SO catchy, and I can’t stop singing it around the house. Bad Hand filled my night with belly laughs and a few tears, feeling seen and moved and genuinely blessed to have shared in the live experience of such a moving, uplifting, heart wrenching, and deeply human hour of entertainment.
Tickets and Practical Info for BAD HAND in CITY 🎟️
1 hour with no interval at Sydney Theatre Company, Wharf 1 Theatre
15 & 17 January 2026
Content advice: This production deals with themes of death, grief and loss, and contains occasional swearing.
Restricted to audiences aged 15+.
