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By Sally Dulson, Hawkesbury Gazette
Once a month, Grose Vale’s Enniskillen Orchard bar and café is transformed into a new, sizzling 1930s-style jazz lounge called The Gin Joint. This intimate speakeasy setting is the backdrop for a standout night of cabaret, thanks to the velvet voice, razor wit, and smoky glamour of one extraordinary performer: Madame Belle.
The original show, Mme Belle en Cabaret, turned the tranquil rural setting into a dazzling night of music, mischief, and mood lighting—and the audience couldn’t get enough.
When I learnt the Hawkesbury had a speakeasy venue, I had to attend—and it did not disappoint. The entertainment was on par with that of Sydney’s inner-city cabarets, a rare and exciting offering for our region.
A Venue Reimagined
The Gin Joint operates inside Enniskillen Orchard, originally a fruit packing shed, now a café transformed by Richard Brough and his wife Angela Maguire during COVID.
By day, the venue serves coffee and produce. By night, once a month, it becomes a stylish, one-night-only speakeasy where cocktails flow and the jazz is hot. On arrival, guests are welcomed with local gin and cider, pre-ordered food, candlelit tables, and a warm, buzzing atmosphere.
Then she arrives.
The Mystery of Mme Belle
Described only as “sultry, from Liechtenstein,” Madame Belle is part mystery, part minx, and all showstopper. With powerhouse vocals, dry wit, and cheeky storytelling, she delivered a polished and unpredictable two-act show.
Backed by an exceptional live band—Cameron Jones on gypsy swing guitar, Oscar Peterson on upright bass, Trevor Kettlewell on drums, and Daryl Wallis, musical director, on keys—Belle moved through a wide range of musical genres.
When asked how he goes about composing a cabaret show of this calibre, Wallis shared:
“It’s about finding the singer’s individual take on the material and tweaking it so that person really shines.”
And shine she did.
From the swagger of “I Wanna Be Evil” to the sass of “I’m Hip,” Belle and the band transitioned seamlessly between jazz, rumba, swing, blues, even opera. Her version of “Cry Me a River” was fresh and emotive, while a singalong to Tones and I’s Dance Monkey had the audience joining in.
A Welcome Addition
The Gin Joint is a welcome addition to the Hawkesbury—what can sometimes feel like a sleepy town now has a regional venue delivering the calibre of entertainment you’d travel to Sydney to find. This kind of collaboration between venue and performer makes art and cabaret more accessible in our community, bringing much-needed live entertainment to the region.
And Madame Belle? She is backed by Bella Musica Entertainment, and although she threatens retirement, her fans won’t have it—so I’m sure she’ll be back at The Gin Joint soon.
More to Come
If you missed last weekend’s show, good news: there are two Gin Joint events in August, and the next is this Saturday night, the 24th of August!
🎟️ Tickets available at: trybooking.com/DECRS
