Pinch Cabaret #44

The Pinch Cabaret is KW’s monthly variety show, performance laboratory, and community arts party. An unexpected mix of Muppets Songs, Poetry, Psychic Readings, Storytelling, Theatre & who knows what else!

Hosted and curated by feverish freak . Get ready for a diverse bill that'll surprise audiences and bring together disparate artistic communities!

Featuring:

• & are artists with a deep passion for all Jim Henson creations! You may have seen them at past Pinch performances or woven into local community events. They'll be performing selections from the classic 1977 made-for-Canadian TV Muppet holiday special, Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas. Kez and Grace are joined by members of the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band.
• is an Azerbaijani-Canadian PhD candidate, military war crimes historian, former park ranger, hotel manager, butcher, baker, foreman, postman, librarian, archivist, archaeologist, surveyor, who was at some point officially born in XIX century, as a sickly Victorian child. For his act titled "Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker: the many masks of the Victorian remnant", you shall hear the gripping tales of the best job he ever had, as an 11-year old foreman, battling nature in the Soviet subway tunnels and discovering the human condition!
• (she/her) is a self-taught brown and queer Tamizh diaspora poet living in Canada. Cypher is currently working on her first full-length poetry collection - The Self is an Ocean - which is slated for release in July 2026 with DarkWinter Press. Cypher will be sharing 7 poems - 4 from her upcoming collection, as well as 3 poems from her previous chapbook "Where the Clay Meets the Flame" which was self-published last year.
• is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores trauma, mental health, and transformation through ritual, storytelling, and play. She is currently focused on creating indie publications and street art, embracing these forms as democratic, public-facing spaces for healing and dialogue. For Pinch Cabaret she will perform as “The Oracle of Elfie”, a cosmic messenger from the universe and an eccentric, playful being who channels insights through spontaneous rituals and intuitive play.
• (he/they) is a writer, actor, and visual artist who loves a good story and an even better audience. From the Willow River watershed, they create work that celebrates interconnection and community. In addition to displaying visual art around the cabaret space, Nathaniel will perform poems and tell stories which are sure to make you smile, reflect, or at least forget about your phone for a couple minutes.
• And for the Pinch Zine Series, this month we’ll release “puddle pedagogy” by , which explores methods of mapping and discovery in your community by following puddles. sid drmay is an artist, maker and freelance journalist based in KW, ON with a deep passion for zines. They run KW Zinetopia, the Hamilton Zine Machine and the Open Source Hardware Association.

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Advance tickets are $5 / $10 / $20 / $30 - you choose the option that's right for you

Limited tickets will be available at the door

Indigenous community members are welcomed to attend for free.

Enormous thanks to Waterloo Region Community Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, City of Kitchener, City of Waterloo, and The Registry Theatre for their generous support, allowing for accessible ticket pricing!

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Doors: 7:45

Show: 8:00

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VENUE:

We're at Hepcat Swing Studio - 42 Erb St E, Waterloo. Enter from grey door on the far right-hand side of the building, behind the dumpster.

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Ben Gorodetsky (he/they)is a performance maker, filmmaker, writer, and producer based in Kitchener, Ontario. They are the creator and former host of experimental variety show Dirt Buffet Cabaret, and former technical director at NYC burlesque theatre Duane Park. His performance work has been presented by The Art Gallery of Ontario, CAFKA, Femme Folks Fest, LUMEN, Open Ears, Movement Research at Judson Church, The Tank NYC, Mile Zero Dance, Guelph Dance Festival, Hillside Fest, Brian Webb Dance Company, Expanse Festival of Movement Arts, Rubaboo Festival, SpringWorks, and the Gas Station Arts Centre. They are the former Associate Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre and have performed, taught, and directed improvisation in Atlanta, Detroit, Austin, Philadelphia, NYC, LA, Reunion Island, Vienna, Ljubljana, Montreal, Toronto, Yellowknife, Calgary, and Vancouver. He is co-creator of political satire comedy duo Folk Lordz (VICE). Ben is the winner of the 2016 Emerging Artist Award at the Mayor's Celebration for the Arts (Edmonton), the Anna Pidruchney Young Writers award, and a nominee for a Canadian Comedy Award and a Waterloo Region Arts Award. He is Creator and Executive Producer of CTV docuseries "MY PET ATE WHAT?", out now on Crave. They teach at UWaterloo, and hold an MFA from Brooklyn College-CUNY and a BFA from the University of Alberta.

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Show poster by Aaron Read

Also check out other Arts events in Waterloo, Literary Art events in Waterloo, Festivals in Waterloo.