Marney McQueen: Hair to the Throne

May 11, 2015

Big-haired Russian beautician Rosa Waxoffski will be showcasing her power-ballad entry into the Eurovision Song Contest at next month’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

So should Australia’s actual first Eurovision entrant Guy Sebastian be worried?

Maybe. Maybe not. Audiences will have to decide that for themselves.

Waxoffski is the creation of actress and comedic cabaret performer Marney McQueen, who describes 2015 Cabaret Festival artistic director Barry Humphries as one of her heroes and says she’s thrilled to be performing her show Hair to the Throne in his first program.

InDaily asked Marney/Rosa exactly what she has in store for Adelaide.

Hair to the Throne follows the exploits of Rosa Waxoffski – what can you tell us about Rosa, other than the fact that she’s a celebrity bikini waxer from Russia?

Rosa is a woman who has overcome much adversity. Many years ago she found her husband Igor in bed with her brother, Ianthorpeski. Now she is devoted to her community by giving life-changing beauty advice in her little shows. She is making the world a more beautiful place, one bikini wax at a time.

It’s a shame Guy Sebastian has beaten Rosa to be Australia’s first Eurovision contestant. Why would she have made a better choice?

Rosa is all over Eurovision. She has a long history with the song contest, dating back to her gig as ABBA’s personal bikini waxer. Of course, in those days, there wasn’t much work requested. You could land a Boeing 777 on Anni-Frid’s landing strip. But Rosa did inspire some of their greatest hits, “The Waxer Takes It All” and “Shaving Me, Shaving You”.

There’s clearly a lot of comedy and big hair in Hair to the Throne, but what sort of songs can audiences expect?

Apart from Rosa’s power ballad entry into the Eurovision Song Contest, described by one Melbourne reviewer as a “hands-down showstopper” (whatever, stop bringing it up, guys!), there is also a killer spoof of “YMCA” and a very, very special surprise for the audience at the end of the evening.

It is definitely worth making sure you do not get up and trot off to the toot in the last five minutes of the show.

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We hear that you tailor your material to each new town in which you’re performing – what special treatment do you have in store for Adelaide?

Rosa will be supported by her pianist, Boris Longschlongadongski, who has the title of being Russia’s biggest pianist. He now lives in a one-bedroom flat in the lovely Adelaide suburb of Tea Tree Gully.

Is it safe to sit in the front row?

It is just as safe to sit in the front row as it is to sit in any seat in the theatre. If Rosa wants you, she will find you.

Marney McQueen will present Hair to the Throne at the Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, on June 7 and 8 as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.