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A stage show called I鈥檓 Not Dead Yet, Darlings听featuring glamorous costumes and听the ‘Queen of the Cross’?听It can only mean CARLOTTA. The living legend spoke with PETER HACKNEY.

Carlotta is a journalist鈥檚 dream.

Pick a topic and the cabaret singer, TV star, Les Girls legend and all-round Aussie icon will have an opinion鈥攁nd she鈥檚 not afraid to give it.听Carlotta, as they say, gives good copy.

Giving her take on Australian television鈥攐ne of the mainstays of her career鈥攖he Number 96 and Beauty and the Beast听star says: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a waste of time these days, darling. Except for maybe Studio 10 and a couple of other shows, it only caters to young people. God knows why鈥擬illennials don鈥檛 even watch television.鈥�

She adds: 鈥淵ou think queens can be bitchy? Try working in television. A knife in the back, I tell you.鈥�

Of her career, the singer, dancer and raconteur offers: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 rate myself very highly, I鈥檓 not into self-adulation. I鈥檝e seen them come, and I’ve seen them go鈥攁nd when you believe your own publicity, it鈥檚 the end.鈥�听

On her looks: 鈥淒arling, I鈥檓 76-years-old. Your photographer better use the brush touch.鈥�

Her dear friend, the late, great Peter Allen?

鈥淗e really came into his own when he met Judy Garland … then he went the whole hog and married Liza.鈥�

Ms Minnelli, she recalls, was 鈥渧ery quiet the times I met her. She was very young then. Or maybe she didn鈥檛 take pills yet.鈥�

On celebrities in general: 鈥淭here are a few I could name who are really up themselves. I鈥檓 not going to, so don鈥檛 ask. But people like Kylie Minogue, Johnny Farnham and Olivia Newtown-John are just lovely. They鈥檙e all down to earth.

鈥淪ome of the new ones are so rude. They鈥檝e been on Gogglebox for five minutes and they鈥檙e spoiled rotten.鈥�

What gets Carlotta really going, though, is the state of her beloved Kings Cross.

Carlotta鈥檚 relationship with the Cross commenced in 1962, when she arrived in the renowned Sydney locale as a sixteen-year-old boy.听

At the time, it was a bohemian district of smart clubs, counterculture cafes, red-light temptations and international hotels.听

In 1963, Les Girls鈥攁 cabaret club whose shows were performed entirely by drag queens and transsexuals鈥攐pened its doors on Darlinghurst Road.听Carlotta joined the revue, soon became its most famous performer, and has been known ever since as 鈥楺ueen of the Cross鈥�.听

With Carlotta at the helm, Les Girls became a tourist attraction. Before its closure in 1993, it was Sydney鈥檚 fabulous equivalent of the Moulin Rouge in Paris, and the lynchpin of the exciting Kings Cross scene.

But as for Kings Cross today?

鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 put your garbage bin out in it, darling,鈥� quips Carlotta, who now lives on the Gold Coast. 听

鈥淕reedy landlords鈥� and 鈥渟tupid people鈥� have ruined the area, she says.听

鈥淭hey need to do something about the landlords who just sit on empty shops in the Cross. They need to change the laws, so these places have to be rented out or sold鈥攂ecause at the moment, landlords can sit on an empty property and claim it as a tax loss.

鈥淲ho wants to walk down a street where half the shops are boarded up?鈥� she asks.

Carlotta is aware of how some people might take her comments (鈥淚 sound like a cranky old bitch, don鈥檛 I?鈥�) but despite her strong opinions, nothing about Carlotta feels angry or bitter.

Interviewing her, the main feeling that comes across is how grateful she is for her life: the subject of her new show, I鈥檓 Not Dead Yet, Darlings.听

The production鈥攚hich runs for five shows only at the Hayes Theatre, Potts Point from 23 October鈥攕ees Carlotta telling tales from her life and 鈥渢alking about how it was in the Cross鈥�, backed by songs and of course, glamorous frocks.

The surprisingly self-deprecating Carlotta says: 鈥淧ersonally, I think my voice sounds like a foghorn but if people want to hear it, I鈥檓 happy to sing. The costumes will be amazing though.鈥�

The show includes special guest appearances and rare archival footage, and will be accompanied by a three-piece band, led by Helpmann Award winner Michael Griffiths.

鈥淐arlotta is a wonderful raconteur and has never sung like this before. Sydney audiences are in for a real treat,鈥� says Griffiths, who will be performing his own show at the Hayes, a Kylie Minogue tribute called Songs by Kylie, from 23鈥�27 October.听

鈥淲hat I want to highlight is how fabulous a life I鈥檝e had,鈥� Carlotta tells the Star.听

鈥淚 can鈥檛 tell you how grateful I am and how fortunate I鈥檝e been in my career.鈥�

What she doesn鈥檛 say, but what鈥檚 self-evident, is that fortune is just a small part of the tale.听

Hard work, talent and tenacity all play a big part in the Carlotta story.听

Occasionally, a performer with little to offer can ride the Zeitgeist for a short time if the stars align. But for more than half a century? Forget it.听

鈥淲hatever the reason, I consider myself very lucky to be working at my age. And doing something I love. I feel very sorry for people who are in a job and they don鈥檛 like it.鈥�

Carlotta, who was diagnosed wth bladder cancer last year (鈥淟ucky for me, they got it very early and it hasn鈥檛 returned.鈥�) says she has no plans to slow down.

鈥淣ext month, I鈥檓 taking the show to His Majesty鈥檚 Theatre in Perth, then in December I鈥檝e got my Christmas special at HOTA (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast.鈥�

Guest appearances on Channel Ten鈥檚 Studio 10 will continue 鈥渨hen I鈥檓 in town and when they鈥檒l have me鈥�, she says.听

鈥淭he show鈥檚 called I鈥檓 Not Dead Yet, Darlings鈥�and darling, I mean it.鈥�

I鈥檓 Not Dead Yet, Darlings starring Carlotta plays the Hayes Theatre, Potts Point from Wednesday, 23 October to Sunday, 27 October inclusive. Tickets ($45-$50) can be purchased online at or on (02) 8065 7337.听