Julia Holt
Artistic Director (2001 – 2008)
Adelaide Cabaret Festival’s very first Artistic Director with over 25 years of international and national experience in key creative and managerial roles across the performing arts industry.
"Right from the very first Festival in 2001, we could sense, almost touch, an artistic wave of incredible energy, enthusiasm and expertise that is the contemporary artform of cabaret. It is an absolute honour and personal delight to be in such stellar company with the fellow Artistic Directors as the Cabaret Collective to, again, celebrate in Adelaide, the artists and audiences who enrich our lives, connect our shared humanity and make the party swing."
David and Lisa Campbell
Artistic Directors (2009 – 2011)
David is one of Australia’s most popular entertainers, ARIA winning, and multi-platinum selling recording artist, featured on TV, starred in theatre and cabaret, recorded 13 albums and performed sold out concert tours from coast to coast. Lisa is a producer, casting director, and founder of Luckiest Production (2007) and is currently the International Casting Director for Moulin Rouge!: The Musical – casting the production in Australia, Korea and Japan.
“Working at Adelaide Cabaret Festival has been a career highlight for us both, and to be asked back to be part of the Cabaret Collective is an honour. We cannot wait to work alongside the other incredible Artistic Directors – to create the most exciting programme so far!”
Kate Ceberano
Artistic Director (2012 – 2014)
The voice of a generation. From teenage sensation fronting the trailblazing 80’s pop-funk band I’m Talking, to delivering 5 consecutive hits, a Platinum debut album, becoming a superstar of the Countdown era, co-hosting many episodes with Molly Meldrum.
“My tenure as Artistic Director of Adelaide Cabaret Festival for three years was such a joy and such a gift and I learned so much about my craft and audiences. We’re going to bring everyone to the campfire in 2023 and all your hosts who have been there over the years will be there again to point you towards your memories of the festival.”
Eddie Perfect
Former Artistic Director, Adelaide Cabaret Festival
Eddie Perfect is one of Australia's most diverse, respected and prolific writer/composer/performers. His most recent work as composer of Beetlejuice The Musical on Broadway won him a nomination for Best Original Score at the 2019 Tony Awards.
He has already made his mark in the fields of comedy, musical theatre composition and book writing, playwrighting, screenwriting, classical music, jazz and acting for stage and screen. He has won multiple awards, both as a performer and writer, and has worked with top creatives from Baz Luhrmann and Global Creatures (Strictly Ballroom The Musical, King Kong on Broadway) to Simon Phillips and Neil Armfield (Shane Warne The Musical, Keating! The Musical), along with Richard Maltby, David Shire, Jason Robert Brown and Andrew Lippa (Adelaide Cabaret Festival). Also the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO Town Hall Proms), Victorian Opera (The Threepenny Opera), Opera Australia (South Pacific), the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (Symphony Under The Stars), Malthouse Theatre (Babes In The Wood, Drink Pepsi Bitch, The Big Con), the Australian National Academy Of Music, Iain Grandage and the UK's Brodsky Quartet (Songs From The Middle).
Eddie's theatre performance credits include Shane Warne The Musical (Token), Misanthropology (Sydney Festival), Songs From The Middle (Adelaide Cabaret Festival), The Threepenny Opera (Malthouse), Bat Boy (Loudmouth/MTC), A Poor Student (The Storeroom), Take Flight, Babes in the Wood (Malthouse), The Big Con (Malthouse) and Keating! The Musical (Belvoir) 9 to 5 The Musical. His television credits include the series regular role of Mick in 10’s Offspring, FOX8's Ultimate School Musical, It’s A Date, Play School, Kath and Kim, Stingers, MDA, Spicks and Specks and as a judge on Australia’s Got Talent. He can currently be seen starring in Gristmill’s isolation rom-com web series Love In Lockdown, available to watch on YouTube.
Eddie has been a regular fixture on the Australian comedy circuit, including as the host of the 2014 Melbourne Comedy Festival Oxfam Gala. His solo music comedy shows (Angry Eddie, Drink Pepsi Bitch, Misanthropology, Songs From The Middle) have received Helpmann and Green Room Awards and have toured Australia, New Zealand, Edinburgh and London. In 2013, Eddie wrote his first play for Melbourne Theatre Company, the black, satirical comedy The Beast, breaking box office records and garnering critical acclaim, including an Australian tour of the show in 2016.
Ali McGregor
Artistic Director (2016 – 2018)
Melbourne-based singer and producer, and award-winning cabaret performer who has performed everywhere from Glastonbury to Carnegie Hall and is one of the most in demand performers on the international festival circuit.
"Adelaide Cabaret Festival feels like home to me, to return for the first time since 2018 to celebrate the incredible 50 year legacy of Adelaide Festival Centre feels very special indeed. Cabaret is the most egalitarian of all art forms, it can be anything you want it to be and can tell a multitude of stories. I can't wait to join Adelaide audiences to enjoy a line up brought together by this supergroup of Artistic Directors."
Julia Zemiro
Artistic Director (2019 – 2020)
French born-Australian actress, host and co-producer, arguably best known as the host of the long-running SBS hit TV program RocKwiz.
“Adelaide Cabaret Festival features some of the best performances you’ll see, so many different stories and genres from drama, comedy and dance. I’m looking forward to being back in that atmosphere and seeing past Artistic Directors coming together and celebrate Adelaide Festival Centre’s 50th Anniversary at the gala night.”
Alan Cumming
Artistic Director (2021)
Actor, author, and director, named one of the three most fun people in show business by Time Magazine (along with Cher and Stanley Tucci!) His most recent projects include creating a dance theatre piece about the Scottish bard Robert Burns, lip-synching the protagonist in a documentary, directing a podcast series about a sperm bank heist, playing a gangster opposite Liam Neason in a Neil Jordan film, curating our very own Adelaide Cabaret Festival and recording a duet with a Gaelic rapper.
Tina Arena
Artistic Director (2022)
Iconic Australian singer-songwriter, record producer, actress and performing artist. Voted Australia’s greatest female singer of all time in 2013, her contribution to the Australian entertainment industry is undeniable. After four decades in music, Tina continues to shape the landscape of Australian music by offering inspiration, wisdom, and encouragement to new artists.
