Loving the Alien
Melbourne theatre as reviewed by Alex First

Photo by Angelo Leggas
The legacy of David Bowie is celebrated in the world premiere of Loving the Alien
The enigma that was David Robert Jones (8th January, 1947 – 10th January, 2016), aka English singer-songwriter David Bowie, is captured in style in a new narrative concert. The brainchild of actor, singer and writer Karlis Zaid, he features alongside gifted chanteuse Aurora Kurth. Accomplished musical direction is by Andrew Patterson, who tickles the ivories and keyboard with aplomb. Aaron Syrjanen is polished and prolific on guitar (no less than five, in fact).
Most of Bowie’s big hits (think the likes of Rebel Rebel, Space Oddity, Fame, Ashes to Ashes, Let’s Dance, Changes and Heroes) are in the repertoire, alongside some lesser-known numbers. Zaid and Kurth build a picture of a man who was the master of reinvention. The narrative thread works through Bowie’s life from when, at age 15, he muscled in on a mate’s girl and received a punch in the face as a result. In the scrap, one pupil was permanently dilated, and so it was that Bowie was left with different coloured eyes.
David Jones became David Bowie because Davy Jones was already noted as the lead singer of The Monkees. While taking playful pot shots at one another, Zaid and Kurth theorise on why the name Bowie was chosen. Deliberately bad puns are another fun part of their shtick. The performers in Loving the Alien juxtapose the drab greys of post WWII Bromley in England, where he grew up, with the “colourful paradise” he created in his bedroom.
They talk about his marriage to his first wife, striking, cosmopolitan, brash and domineering American model Angie Barnett, with whom he had a son. They run through the significant influence that Bowie’s second manager had on his career trajectory and how cocaine became a constant bedfellow. Undeniably, Bowie liked to push the boundaries of his art. Creating Ziggy Stardust made Bowie a bisexual alien rock god, his flamboyance attracting the LGBTQIA+ community.
They detail Bowie’s acrimonious marriage split and how he was the second name of John Lennon’s killer’s hit list. We also receive insights into the tragic life of Bowie’s half-brother, Terry. We learn about Bowie the businessman and how some of his original fans turned their back on him. There were also times when Bowie disappeared from the public eye. At one point, he moved from Los Angeles to Berlin. He became the frontman for a band called Tin Machine.
Bowie’s second wife, Somali/American model Iman, with whom David had a daughter, also comes into play. Then at a concert in the 2000s, Bowie had a heart attack. Although he said he was fed up with the industry and again dropped out of sight for an extended period, at age 66 in 2013 he released his first studio album in a decade. Then came another on his 69th birthday, literally days before he tragically passed away from an illness that he kept as the biggest secret of his life.
Mystery, unpredictability and unquestionable talent marked his multi-decade foray into the music business and made him a star. With their own musical prowess, with adoration, humour, heart and energy, Zaid and Kurth capture the essence of the paradoxes and genius of David Bowie. Often, alternately, with rich, rounded vocalisation and depth, they are front and centre of the music, the mastery, the magic and the myths that slayed generations.
Through 90 minutes with an interval, the pair enjoys a strong rapport, while the instrumental accompaniment is pure dynamite. Zaid worked his way through understandable opening-night jitters, but I am confident that his patter will become smoother as the show progresses. Loving the Alien is on at The Show Room at Arts Centre Melbourne until 6th July, 2025, with intentions to tour.