Sink or SING! is an interactive musical comedy cabaret from classically trained vocalist and cabaret artist Amelie Peters. Laugh, vibe, and maybe even sing your heart out as Amelie spills vocal secrets and relatable life lessons in a show that makes everyone the star.
What inspired you to turn a cabaret into a full-blown interactive singing party—did it start in the shower or the studio?
I wish this show started in the shower or studio – it would’ve made a cute story! But honestly, it came from something a lot messier and more personal.
I was frustrated by how inaccessible the arts can be. Why does quality vocal coaching with real industry knowledge seem like a luxury only the wealthy can afford? Little me would never have booked a one-on-one lesson with adult me – not because I didn’t want to, but because I was proudly poor, intimidated, and low-key resentful of how gatekept the whole industry felt.
At the time, I’d hit a bit of a wall with my previous cabaret show Retail Reality. I felt burnt out and unrewarded on stage. I totally victimised myself for about two years – hello, pity party.
Eventually, I stepped back and asked myself: what parts of my career actually make me feel happy? And the answer was clear – vocal coaching and creating shows. That’s when I had the lightbulb moment: what if I combined all of those things into something new? Something that teaches people how to fall in love with singing… even if they’ve never done it before?
As I moved through my twenties, I noticed something heartbreaking too, so many of the girls I used to sing with in choir as a kid had completely stopped singing. Life got busy, expensive, overwhelming. Between the cost of living and the pressures of adulthood, joy started taking a backseat. That’s when it hit me! I wanted to create a space that brought that joy back. A non-intimidating, 60-minute throwback to the magic of choir (just with more glitter, cheek, and wine if you fancy it!)
The first two songs I wrote for Sink or SING! Were Guilty Pleasures and Holes in My Undies. They weren’t even meant to be part of a show. I was freezing in a crappy rental during winter, heartbroken, sick, had just cancelled all my shows and tours thanks to COVID, and I just thought: screw it, I’m going to write something that makes me laugh. And from there? The rest flowed like magic.
You call it Sink or SING!—so, have you ever actually sunk on stage, and what did you learn from it?
BHAHAHA yes! The real question is: which story do I tell?
Here’s something juicy: I was 21 years old performing in NEW YORK FREAKING CITY. It was the Encore Fringe Series at Soho Playhouse – my “big break.” Or so I thought. I was fresh, naive, and had no clue how brutal the music industry – or vocal health – could be.
We were three shows into a five-show run, and I got so sick. Fevers, green gunk, you name it. Worst of all, I was losing my voice. The first two shows I scraped through, but by show three, I was toast.
Midway through the set, my voice completely disappeared. Picture this: I’m on stage, croaking out Amy Winehouse while the sound tech cranks my mic to the gods. I still had It’s a Man’s World and Respect to go – two powerhouse anthems that require, well… a voice.
I came off stage mortified. Embarrassed. But mostly just needing to crawl into bed. Looking back now, with all the vocal coaching training I’ve done since, I know how lucky I was not to do permanent damage that night. Because when a singer gets sick, it all comes down to technique – but even the best technique can’t save a voice that’s already gone.
That was my biggest sink moment. But hey – cheers to it. Because from that, I learned how to take care of the instrument I rely on most. And now? I teach others how to do the same.
How do you get even the most reluctant audience members to let go and embrace their inner diva?
Liquid courage definitely helps! Vocal coach Amelie might cringe, but human Amelie says: grab that whisky and go for gold, you superstar!
The truth is, most people who hesitate to sing aren’t lacking ability – they’re afraid of judgement. So I tackle that head-on, right at the start of the show. I get everyone to turn to their left, then their right, and look at the people next to them. Then I say, “If you’re worried about being judged tonight, that’s who’ll do it.”
Everyone laughs, the tension breaks, and boom – the elephant in the room is acknowledged. From there, it’s all uphill and full-volume. And honestly, once we start singing people forget to care and just have fun. That’s the magic.
What’s the wildest or most unexpected thing that’s happened during a live show so far?
Ohhh, this one wasn’t during Sink or SING! – but it’s too wild not to share.
I was on tour at Perth World Fringe, performing in a tent. Midway through the show, I’d just finished a number and headed to the “backstage area,” which was basically… outside the tent. One of our dancers was mid-quick-change, boobs out, the whole thing – when suddenly, chaos erupted.
Little did I know, the bride-to-be from a very white-girl-wasted hen’s party had bolted across the stage like an Olympic sprinter right after my song, and barged straight into our backstage area… and into boobs.
Security ended up escorting her out of the show, but I’ll never forget the stunned silence, followed by absolute hysterics. The dancer took it like a champ. Just another day in the world of live cabaret!
You’ve performed everywhere from opera stages to NYC—how does it feel bringing your voice (and voice coaching secrets) to the Fringe?
Performing original work always feels the same – like a messy cocktail of wanting to throw up and being wildly overjoyed, like a kid on red cordial.
Whether it’s music theatre, jazz, classical, contemporary pop, wedding gigs, funerals, or birthdays – the stage, and the intent behind what I do, is always the same: to share my love for storytelling through song and bring people together.
Every audience brings something different. From the prestige of an opera crowd to the gritty hustle of a cute old theatre in Soho, I’ve seen how varied the energy can be. But the one constant is the stage. I know it like the back of my hand. Once the mic is on, the lights hit, and the music starts – I feel like I’m in my bedroom singing into a hairbrush.
I’ve poured my heart into building Sink or SING! at the Adelaide Fringe – aka the second-largest Fringe festival in the world – and now, to take it to Edinburgh? I’m absolutely buzzing! Sharing this interactive singing party on a world-class stage, with a global audience? It’s a dream come true.
What’s one vocal tip from the show that absolutely everyone should be using—even if it’s just in the car?
Only one vocal tip?! Torture. There’s so much wisdom to share! But if I had to choose just one tiiiiiny nugget of gold… it would be this:
If your voice feels like it’s on fire – that’s not right, lol. Please stop.
Discomfort is your body’s way of saying, “Mate, something’s off.” Good vocal health should feel easy and supported – not strained or painful. (And yes, even screamo can be done safely using false vocal folds!)
So whether you’re belting Beyoncé in the car or in an argument with your partner, tune into how your voice feels. If it hurts, it’s not healthy. Your voice should feel like it’s working with you, not against you.
Your vocal cords are tiny, delicate muscles. Treat them like the vocal queens they are.
Amelie makes her Edinburgh debut with the show after successful runs at Adelaide’s Cabaret Fringe Festival and Gluttony at Adelaide Fringe. Sink or SING! will run in the Bothie at Gilded Balloon’s Patter House at 21:20, 30 July to 24 August. https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5873/