Dusty Limits, also known as Dorian Black, is a singer, comic and compere and one of the leading lights the new cabaret scene. He's been described as The Trailblazer of the resurgence of cabaret, and he has surprised and thrilled audiences from London to New York, Dublin to Berlin with his three-octave vocal range and darkly scintillating wit. He sings everything from Cole Porter to Portishead, often with the words changed, as well as his own original songs that deal with themes of mortality, addiction and the futility of love. Usually for laughs. For the second year running he has won the Best Host/Compere Award at the London Cabaret Awards. He's one of the most lauded chaps of cabaret, and is the Director of the Black Cat Cabaret that takes place every Friday at the Cafe de Paris. Next time you go along to the Black Cat Cabaret, book in advance (here) and use the promo code 'Catnip' to get a Run-Riot discount, purrrr.

For this #CollectiveInterview we invited six key people from the scene (the place where performance meets fashion, meets music - it has to be Cabaret darling!) to pitch in with a short question (or two). Those six are Mat Fraser, Ophelia Bitz, Trixie Malicious, Daniel Lismore, Amber Butchart, and Frank Sanazi. More on them below.

Mat Fraser: 'Cabaret awards: Great, pointless, divisive, community enhancing, pathetic, wonderful?'
Dusty Limits: That's fairly comprehensive! Yes, all of the above, depending on your perspective. Not quite sure what I can add. I'm not really into awards generally, because I don't think artistry thrives on competition. Or rather that we don't need to jack up the competitiveness artificially, it's in our natures. But, the atmosphere at the LCA (London Cabaret Awards) was one of a community coming together to celebrate a form we all love. Recognition is nice; more important is an excuse for everyone to get dragged up and drunk together.

Ophelia Bitz: '2013 is the Chinese year of the black snake, meant for steady progress and attention to detail, focus and discipline. What will you be ignoring completely and fecklessly squandering?'
Dusty Limits: This Chinese year I shall mostly be fecklessly squandering what I have always squandered fecklessly; money, time, and what little energy is left in my ageing body. I can't take it back so I might as well wear it out.

Trixie Malicious: 'My Dear Dusty, there is a vacancy in the papacy now, how would you fill it?'
Dusty Limits: Nolo episcopari, and all that, but if I did don the Papal ensemble, I would use my time to sell off the Church's assets and donate all the money to good causes*. You know, like that bloke Jesus might have done. The Catholic Church is everything Christ despised. (*'Good causes' does include a private island in the Maldives.)

Mat Fraser: 'What role do we have as outsider performers in an oppressive world?'
Dusty Limits: To express what is often silenced, whether it be emotional, political, philosophical or something else. To create spaces where those who feel excluded can be welcomed and celebrated. In our small way, to speak the truth to power. That's really all we can do. Whenever people bang on about cabaret being innately political (which it mostly isn't) I am reminded of that Peter Cooke quote about 'those wonderful Berlin cabarets which did so much to stop the rise of Hitler.' Having said that, Cooke himself stuck the knife brilliantly into many pompous and hypocritical establishment figures, so perhaps he was underplaying it.

Daniel Lismore: What are your thoughts on Wikileaks and climate revolution?
Dusty Limits: On Wikileaks: Hopeful. When Wikipedia first appeared and was getting a lot of bad press for its many inaccuracies, I maintained it was as important as the printing press. The democratisation of knowledge has now produced a massively powerful and useful resource and the wider access becomes, the more transformative it will become. Wikileaks is a more volatile version of the same principle, though I'm more cautious about it, partly because of the rather strident idealism of a lot of its supporters. I'd be interested to see some research on the actual consequences of the leaks to date.

On climate revolution: I am inclined to pessimism. There are ample signs that we've passed a tipping-point and the process is irreversible. I'm not sure that eschewing plastic shopping bags will make much difference at this stage. In any case, I don't think we can predict confidently what the long-term results of climate change will be. It might be that the Medea principle kicks in, and 1000 years from now human beings are a dim memory. I'm glad now that I don't have children. If I did I'm sure I'd feel very differently. I think things like Climate Revolution give people a sense of purpose, which is lovely, but switching your telly off standby won't make up for the obliteration of rain forests to raise palm oil. At this point I'm aspiring to a peaceful death.
 
Amber Butchart: 'How important is it for you that your work reflects and satirises current affairs?'
Dusty Limits: It's important, but it's not my primary aim. A lot of what I do is intended purely as entertainment. Having said that, British audiences love satire, so quite often I can do both at the same time. And having a satirical focus means I never run short of material, because human folly, especially in politics, is inexhaustible. The older I get, though, the more the follies seem to be feeble copies of previous follies, and the more I am inclined to look inwards.
 
Frank Sanazi: Dearest Darkest Dusty & Dorian, Doyen of Darkest Cabaret - Would you ever consider writing and performing a show where you could portray a selection of ze best und verst performers you have compered for over ze years? Also which artists would you be likely to send up? Obviously for now you would probably mention your favourites, not ze stinkers! And vot vud ze title of ze show be called? Many Tanks Frank.'
Dusty Limits: That's the kind of idea that gets people in trouble, Frank! The fundamental flaw in it is that I have no actual skills. I'd love to perform affectionate parodies of brilliant artists like Craig Hula Boy and Kitty Bang Bang. Unfortunately I'd just end up tripping over my hoops and setting my head on fire... Which would be pretty entertaining. It would obviously be called 'No Limits'.
 
Mat Fraser: I'm on record as saying you're the only man I'd shag, if you had to do a woman, who would it be?
Dusty Limits: I'm not sure the phrase 'if you had to' applies here. It's not like coercion would be involved. As for whom, I am far too much of a gentleman to say. How's the wife, by the way?

Answers by: Dusty Limits
Dusty is the resident Impresario of the establishment (and Director) at the Black Cat Cabaret, every Friday at Cafe de Paris.
theblackcat.info

He is also appearing in his solo show Darkling at the St James Theatre Studio on March 30th.
Tickets for Darkling: stjamestheatre.co.uk
dustylimits.com
@DustyLimits

Who asked the questions for the @run_riot #CollectiveInterview

Mat Fraser
The well-endowed Sealboy of love who banged-one-out for the Para Olympic opening ceremony (yes, he stood in as the drummer for Coldplay and made them look almost cool in doing so). Mat is the much adored rock musician, actor and performance artist who runs his monthly cabaret night Sleaze in Camden (next one is on Weds 6th March) - and yes it's free! He's famous for a lot of other things and is a married man.
matfraser.co.uk
@mat_fraser
Sleaze

Ophelia Bitz
The most happy-go-lucky harpy you're likely to meet. Mistress of @artwankevents, cabaret compere and vocalist. Sex geek. Food perv.
opheliabitz.com
@theopheliabitz
@artwankevents

Trixie Malicious
International Performance Artist. Specialising in Bump n Grind/60s Grindhouse Burlesque, GoGo Dancer, Interactive Comedy. Lead Singer of The Van Dorens. Resident Dancer at London's Grind-a-Go-Go & Shore Leave. Host/Producer of SLEAZE along with Mat Fraser. Lover of kitch, vinyl, B-Movies, candy and boys.
facebook.com/trixiemalicious

Daniel Lismore
British Artist, exhibited @Tate Modern & Tate Britain. Creative Director of @SORAPOLLONDON - Actor - Human Rights & #ClimateRevolution Warrior.
daniellismore.blogspot.co.uk
@daniellismore
@SORAPOLlondon
 
Amber Butchart (aka Amber Jane from the Broken Hearts)
Fashion Historian & Trend Analyst; half of @BrokenHeartsDJs, presenter @jazzfm, lecturer @LCFLondon, freelancer @WGSN, talks @V_and_A & occasionally on @BBCNews
theatreoffashion.co.uk
@FashionTheatre

Frank Sanazi
Singer, comedian, entertainer, Ubermeister of Lounge! He may not be a real nazi but he'll still give you one helluva gas!
franksanazi.com
@FrankSanazi
 

The Black Cat Cabaret from The Roustabouts on Vimeo.

The Broken Hearts - Black Cat from rob flowers on Vimeo.