Beating up The Beatles at Ginger’s on Oxford QTOPIA

A bold jazz-cabaret reimagining of the Lennon–McCartney songbook.

What happens when a 21 -year-old artist takes on one of the most iconic catalogues in music history?

You don’t get a tribute show. You get a reinvention.

Beating Up The Beatles is a striking, jazz-infused cabaret from South Australian award-winning artist Charlee Watt, reimagining the songs of Lennon and McCartney through bold new arrangements, storytelling, and unapologetic musical curiosity.

The title says it all — this is about “beating up” the music in the best possible way: reshaping rhythms, pulling apart harmonies, and rebuilding songs to reveal textures and meanings you may never have noticed before.

A fresh lens on legendary music while drawing inspiration from artists like Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Carmen McRae and Dionne Warwick, Charlee steps into a lineage of artists who reinterpret rather than imitate , asking: What do these songs mean now?

Through jazz, soul, and contemporary cabaret, the show uncovers the emotional depth, wit, and vulnerability within the song writing — delivered with powerhouse vocals and a magnetic stage presence.

Fringe Weekly Award – Best Cabaret & Variety (Perth Fringe World)
Adelaide Critics Circle Award – Emerging Artist
Adelaide Fringe “One to Watch” Award (2025)
Adelaide Fringe Tour Ready Award (NZ Fringe 2027)