Tag Archives: Christmas in Leicester Square

La Clique

La Clique

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Christmas in Leicester Square

La Clique

La Clique

Christmas in Leicester Square

Reviewed – 18th November 2021

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“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. β€œNext 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 β€˜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, β€œFuck 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 β€œfurry 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 | β˜…β˜…Β½ | The Space | September 2021
Tarantula | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Online | April 2021
My Son’s A Queer But What Can You Do | β˜…β˜…β˜…Β½ | The Turbine Theatre | June 2021
Lava | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Bush Theatre | July 2021
Reunion | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Sadler’s Wells Theatre | May 2021
The Narcissist | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Arcola Theatre | July 2021
White Witch | β˜…β˜… | Bloomsbury Theatre | September 2021
Tender Napalm | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | King’s Head Theatre | October 2021
The Sugar House | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Finborough Theatre | November 2021
A Merchant of Venice | β˜…Β½ | Playground Theatre | November 2021

 

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Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs

Captain Flinn And The Pirate Dinosaurs: The Magic Cutlass

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Christmas in Leicester Square

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs

Captain Flinn And The Pirate Dinosaurs: The Magic Cutlass

Christmas in Leicester Square

Reviewed – 10th December 2019

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“a colourful and creative hour which contains enough energy, adventure and poop deck jokes for the little ones without them getting restless”

 

Dastardly dinosaurs creating swashbuckling mayhem on the ocean deep can only mean another popular children’s story is translated from book to stage as part of Leicester Square’s Christmas activities.

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: The Magic Cutlass, one of Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto’s adventure series featuring the same lovable characters, is brought vividly to life by the Les Petits Theatre company in this fast-moving and fun adaptation by Oliver Lansley.

Jollier than the Jolly Roger and with as many ho-ho-ho’s as there are yo-ho-ho’s this show in the Spiegeltent blends imaginative set (Zoe Squire using items from a school gym, such as ladders, benches and a trampoline imaginatively) with awesome puppets and costumes (Max Humphries and Zahra Mansouri), catchy songs (Jack Graham Thomas) and lively performances from a tireless cast of four.

The company presented the first Captain Flinn book on stage six years ago so are familiar with the characters and prehistoric pirate puns already, adding energy and zest to this sequel.

Those familiar with the books will know about the kids at St Barnabas Primary School and their teacher Miss Pie who, as the show opens, are staging a low-cost drama about Captain Flinn and the pirates, complete with crash helmets, sieves and oven mitts as part of their dinosaur costumes.

But even as the budget-friendly T-Rex enters with a roar of, β€œWe’re a T-Rex from the last crustaceous period!” the pupils lose interest, recognising that real dinosaurs were β€œbigger and horribler.”

And so enter the β€œreal” dinosaurs as the fierce and vain Mr T the T-Rex kidnaps Flinn and his friends to help him find the magic cutlass which grants unlimited wishes to those who find it (though as Mr T has smudged the paper telling him about it, he is convinced he is hunting for unlimited fishes).

lt’s a colourful and creative hour which contains enough energy, adventure and poop deck jokes for the little ones without them getting restless (the recommended age is three years and above) but there’s also plenty to hold the attention of the adults, such as the DJ Rocktopus fishcotheque populated by rave jellyfish (an inventive use of bowls and fluorescent scarves) and the charming shadow puppetry.

Along the way there’s the ever-present threat of walking the plank or being tossed into the sausage machine, which provides the staple diet for the hungry pirate dinosaurs.

The four-strong cast must be exhausted with lots of racing around and efficient quick changes in what is presumably a relatively small backstage space, but the vivacity never once sags.

Mark Middleton gives the somewhat terrifying antagonist Mr T vulnerability and a personality one wouldn’t expect in such a larger than life dino costume. He also plays the schoolteacher Miss Pie, despairing as the production gets out of hand, and hoping to resolve the chaos by singing a tribute to her cat Harold.

Tom Myles is a fabulous Flinn, the young action hero with a stiff upper lip and a leadership verging on petulance, doubling up as Terrence the pterodactyl terror of the high seas. There’s a delightful tender moment when he loses his nerve and calls for mummy, which in turn leads to some careless wish-making and turns out to save the day.

Ellie Pawsey is both the brave Pearl and Tracy the triceratops, while Stephan Boyce is the nervous Tom and Stephen the stegosaurus. There isn’t much opportunity for individual characterisation, but the cast members work well together to keep the attention rapt, injecting some healthy silliness when things get a bit too scary for the wide-eyed young audience.

Director Hal Chambers ensures a rollicking pace, setting a boisterous level from start to finish.

There’s a picture to colour on the programme, but it’s worth checking out the Les Petits website, where you can also download a range of fun activities related to the show.

This X-tremely entertaining adventure marks the spot with a buccaneering holiday treat that is something to treasure.

 

Reviewed by David Guest

Photography by Gail Harland

 


Captain Flinn And The Pirate Dinosaurs: The Magic Cutlass

Christmas in Leicester Square until 5th January

 

Recently reviewed by David:
Bruised Fruit | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Drayton Arms | August 2019
Anna Bella Eema | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Arcola Theatre | September 2019
Room Service | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Bread & Roses Theatre | September 2019
The Hound Of The Baskervilles | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Abney Park Cemetery | September 2019
Homing Birds | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Tara Theatre | November 2019
The Arrival | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Bush Theatre | November 2019
Goldilocks And The Three Musketeers | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Battersea Arts Centre | December 2019

 

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