Type – Cabaret, Dark Comedy
If you liked – Sweeny Todd, Chicago, Cabaret, Gypsy
Zoë’s Killer Instinct: The glory. The gore. Her story. Oui, oui it’s Zoë
Zoë’s Killer Instinct is a deeply dark, deeply ironic and funny satirical concept on the scale of Swift’s A Modest Proposal. It tells of the starry-eyed young woman, the talented actor who just wants to fulfill her creative dreams but is thwarted at each step by the sexist misogynists who by and large control the film and theatre industries. Naturally what can she do but wreak a horrible revenge?
Zoë Jensen’s one-hour cabaret crams in the whole arc of a traditional musical, from the plaintive ‘I want’ number, to belting out the triumphant finale. It is very well written by Michael McStay, who keeps the character and plotting tight and concise to fit the short format.
Travis Hennessy’s compositions are heaps of fun and demonstrate a mind steeped in Broadway classics, particularly the works of Stephen Sondheim. Hennessy’s clearly a talented composer and musician, and matches the complex lyrical idiom and musical style of the master. Olivia Charalambous’ direction keeps Jensen’s character sashaying and shimmying across the stage, highlighting the deep irony of the themes by framing it within musical cabaret.
Jensen, as the ingenue who is driven to bloody revenge, is a delight to watch. Styled in Marilyn Monroe’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes heyday, she opens in a gorgeous crimson velvet frock, which then transforms into a blood-spattered version of the famous white dress Marilyn wore in The Seven Year Itch. Marilyn of course has come to symbolise how the industrial Hollywood machine eventually crushes and destroys the women it idolises, and Zoë’s rage at the injustice draws on this long and dark history. Jensen is the classic triple-threat, and belts out the numbers in true Broadway style.
Is Zoë‘s Killer Instinct Worth Seeing in Sydney?
The politics of gendered violence is laid bare in this short but sharp performance. It is not for the faint of heart, with adult language and trigger warnings galore. The real tragedy, however, is not Zoë’s violent revenge. It is the tenacity of a Western culture that continues to allow violence against women to go unchecked by censure or punishment.
As we watch this performance, the news is full of elite-school boys charged with sexual assault, and five so-called elite footballers under investigation for assault. Meanwhile, the barrister wife of the Opposition leader writes in the press that parents shouldn’t let their daughters go out to parties to keep them safe. Really, again?
Tickets and Practical Info for Zoë‘s Killer Instinct in Sydney 🎟️
Created by & starring Zoë Jensen
Written by Michael McStay
Directed by Olivia Charalambous
Old Fitz Theatre, Woolloomooloo
Until 30 August 2026
Tickets: here
