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La Clique

Christmas in Leicester Square

Reviewed – 18th November 2021

★★★★★

“Perfectly gaudy, camp, hilarious, breath-taking, and an absolute tonic for this mess of a year we’re all having”

What I wouldn’t give to sit in on the Underbelly’s La Clique audition process. “Next up we’ve got a pink-mulleted saxophonist with a very strong pelvic thrust, after that a laderhosen-loving hoola hooper, and before lunch let’s try and squeeze in the burlesque act who takes her clothes off inside a giant balloon.”

Except of course some of these acts have been performing with La Clique for years, so the audition is probably more like a phone call to a family member to see if they’re coming home for Christmas. And what a family! You’ve got a couple of acrobats, an aerialist, a fire-breathing sword swallower to name only a few, all accompanied by a stellar live band, including our pink-mulleted saxophonist, Leo P.

Creative producer and director David Bates is an expert curator, combining brute skill with heaps of whimsy and showmanship. Each act marries a fairly classic circus skill with rock n’ roll energy and lashings of good humour. The Skating Willers III, for example, are an acrobatic roller-skating duo, spinning around on a terrifyingly small platform, Steph attaching herself with increasing jeopardy around Pierre’s neck as she twists herself into various pretzel-like shapes. They begin with Pierre standing with the band singing Michael Bublé’s cover of ‘Feeling Good’- a double dose of crooning cheese. But Steph struts on stage in the middle of the song in a barely-there checked skirt and suspenders, takes the mic and says, “Fuck Bublé”, collecting Pierre and gliding down on their skates to the front of the stage for a far more entertaining use of his skills. It’s irreverent and cheeky, and yet still showing incredible mastery and prowess. And that’s pretty much how it goes for the evening- we’re laughing, whooping, gasping and gaping in equal measure for two solid hours.

Our host for the evening, Bernie Dieter, is suitably fabulous, making multiple outrageous costume changes, from a gold shimmering jumpsuit, spiked shoulder pads, gold curtain tassels and silver sequined stiletto boots, to an oversized faux fur coat covered in “furry nipple tassels, or tiny furry penises”, she’s not sure which. She is the thread that ties the acts together, adding to that genuinely familial feel which makes this show particularly special. All the acts are also each other’s stage hands, throwing props on stage and hiking up the rigging by hand when someone needs to fly.

A surprising number of acts turn into quasi-strip shows, so, like, don’t bring your kids. But otherwise, I can’t think what else you could possibly require from a Christmas show. Perfectly gaudy, camp, hilarious, breath-taking, and an absolute tonic for this mess of a year we’re all having.

Reviewed by Miriam Sallon

Photography by Craig Sugden

La Clique

Christmas in Leicester Square until 8th January

More shows reviewed by Miriam this year:

Aaron And Julia | ★★½ | The Space | September 2021

Tarantula | ★★★★ | Online | April 2021

My Son’s A Queer But What Can You Do | ★★★½ | The Turbine Theatre | June 2021

Lava | ★★★★ | Bush Theatre | July 2021

Reunion | ★★★★★ | Sadler’s Wells Theatre | May 2021

The Narcissist | ★★★ | Arcola Theatre | July 2021

White Witch | ★★ | Bloomsbury Theatre | September 2021

Tender Napalm | ★★★★★ | King’s Head Theatre | October 2021

The Sugar House | ★★★★ | Finborough Theatre | November 2021

A Merchant of Venice | ★½ | Playground Theatre | November 2021

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★★★★

“the collection of performers that were gathered at this cabaret were unbelievably talented”

Bernie Dieter’s Little Death Club is a celebration of us, a place to let loose and celebrate our differences and, if you’re the man in the third row, a place for you to get your face slammed in the crotch of Dieter herself.

As soon as you walked into the venue, reminiscent of a circus big top, you were hit with colour changing lights, smoke and a rocking band playing you to your seat. When the show started after a small delay, it was worth the wait. The audience was greeted first by the emcee Bernie Dieter, who began to sing before making her way into the audience on the prowl for a man, or many men. She talked about the importance of human connection, literally, as she straddled one man, head in crotch and grabbed four other men in a touching war. Dieter was able to draw in the audience from the moment she stepped onto the stage through her use of song and comedy.

As much as it was Dieter’s show, the collection of performers that were gathered at this cabaret were unbelievably talented, commanding the stage in their own right. Some stand out performers include Beau Sargent, a contortionist and aerial act who “blurs the lines of gender and preconception.” He performed two acts, one of which was twisting his body in positions that seem impossible. Then, towards the end of the show, he performed an emotional aerial act with Dieter singing behind him, the words, “is this the woman you thought you would grow to be” as Sargent took of his heels and weaved his way in and out of the flying ring. What seemed to be almost a commentary on queerness and freedom, or the lack thereof, was a nice break from the fire and nudity and all around debauchery.

Another stand out performer, was Fancy Chance (Veronica Thomson) who came out, fabric floating through the air as she swung her arms in a mesmerising manner. What started as a simple and beautiful act became an incredible and dangerous act of chance, being lifted up hanging only by her hair. She swung and spun through the air as the audience watched, necks craned and mouths opened. Her clothes were then ripped off in a comedic turn as she came down from the air before embracing her nude body and once again, leaping, full force, into the air.

The cabaret also included exciting performances from Myra Dubois, a comedic drag queen, Josh Glanc, a mime (who lamented about the cons of being a mime), and Kitty Bang Bang, a fire breathing goddess. This cast of performers each brought a genuine electric fire to the stage.

As the show ended, Dieter sent the crowd out into the London night, reinforcing the message that it is important, in this scary world we live in, to never let anyone tell us our differences are not to be celebrated.

Reviewed by Tobias Graham

Photography by Alistair Veryard