If you woke up today thinking, “I really should try singing loudly about fairy bread in a room full of strangers” or “I should bedazzle my supersized emotional support Stanley water bottle with my initials” or if you’re just Gen Z and love musicals, then this might be the show for you.

Written and performed by Amelie Peters, with a live backing band of six musicians, it’s a joyous and funny hour-long exploration of what it means to be young and on the journey of self-acceptance via disastrous dating app experiences told via comedic monologues  and sprinkled with original songs. The cabaret is interactive from the outset, opening with an audience quiz that immediately invites us to share our vulnerabilities. The last person answered positively to “stay standing if someone you met on a dating app ended up having a partner, being engaged or married” and is instantly christened the Head of the Choir.

It takes a lot of strength and chutzpah to carry a one-woman show and Peters pulls it off admirably. There were a couple of understandable hiccups that can come with an opening night, but her ability and attitude quickly smoothed these over. With the stamina and range endowed by classical training (she has a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice), Peters brings an endearing mix of girlish relatability and knockout vocals, but the real success of this show lies in her talent of creating a welcoming atmosphere which assuredly brings the audience together and encourages participation – especially in Melbourne which can be a tough or reserved crowd!

This show isn’t just for the extroverts though, she manages to instil a real ’feel the fear and do it anyway’ atmosphere of non-judgemental fun. No-one cares how you sound! And as Peters explores through her songs, if something embarrassing happens to you, there’s a strong likelihood someone else, probably in the next row, has suffered a similar mishap. It’s a great lesson, especially for young women, and I can see a real attraction of this show for gaggles of Gen Z girlies who draw confidence from sharing their lives – both the wins and disasters – with each other. The message is an empowering one, share your fears and they will end up being shared by others. And of course, the unifying choir effect of banging them out in song is one of ultimate celebration.

By far the biggest praise is for the original songs. Girl can really write an ear worm! Peters’ songs are so incredibly catchy, you will find yourself singing them long after you leave the venue, especially when her incredible voice really takes flight. The one drawback was the balance of the acoustics in the venue, as the music drowned out her vocals and made hearing those all-important lyrics very difficult at times.

As is so common with that younger demo, Peters’ prattle is smattered with “like” and communication mannerisms of the terminally online and while this girly persona mostly lands as endearing, it could be grating or feel a bit vacuous to those not of this digitally connected era. This is a small gripe, as the overall energy of the evening is positive, embracing and one of sheer unhinged enjoyment.

3.5 stars

Playing as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival, Sink or Sing! A Sing-a-long Cabaret is on at the ETU Ballroom at Trades Hall, Melbourne until 18 October 2026.

Run Time: 60 minutes

For tickets visit Melbourne Fringe