Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Skank Sinatra
Jens Radda
Genre: Cabaret
Venue: Underground, Assembly George Square.
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Sinatra gsets dragged up in a Diva fantastic makeover. Skank Sinatra is a solo drag cabaret show created and performed by Jens Radda, appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025. The show reimagines Sinatra classics with a contemporary twist, blending live vocals, comedy, and camp cabaret. Jens draws on his multicultural background, sharing a narrative that spans South Africa, Australia, and Europe, set to a big band soundtrack that includes both Frank and Nancy Sinatra songs.
Review
Winner of Best Cabaret at Adelaide Fringe and making a welcome return to Edinburgh, Jens Rabba is spicy and saucy, yet retaining the riffs and styles of Old Blue Eyes, but refreshingly original. No skank this, she is highly polished and professional both in delivery and audience interaction.
The introduction builds up the performance perfectly. What is particularly impressive is the adaptation of lyrics to tell her story, New York New York morphing effortlessly into a homage to Sydney for example. It’s a journey from a childhood in South Africa, lots of sharp comments on racism here, and Australia isn’t let off the hook either, and, beneath the glamour, there is a pleasing satire that bites without alienating the audience. The auditorium is set out in cabaret style, chairs and tables at the front, with a bar ensuring the atmosphere is lively. However, spotlights do glare into the audience occasionally, which is a little distracting.
There is no sign of drag diminishing in popularity, and, in a highly competitive field, it is the Sinatra vibe that makes this gorgeous cabaret show stand out. The classics are there, and when a performer announces that they are NOT going to sing My Way, you’re guaranteed that it will be the encore! For me, I would have liked the “skank” aspect to have been powered up a bit. The costume change that goes wrong is superbly choreographed, and this is a very professional and polished show. And there is nothing wrong with that, it’s very entertaining and garnered a huge response from a highly enthusiastic audience, many of whom were avid fans. What we have here is a drag star with powerful vocals, at the top of her game. Original and sassy, it’s well worth flying with this Sinatra tribute.
