“More thought, less crudeness and this could be a 5 star children’s show”
La Petite Soirée is the family version of La Soirée currently playing at the Aldwych Theatre until February. The website promises this as a children’s version of the main show without the sauce.
The Aldwych Theatre is a great setting for this show and the layout of the stage, lighting and atmospheric smoke makes you feel like you are in a cosy cabaret club. The “posh” seats on the stage offer a great view and maximum audience participation. The “ringside” seats offer fantastic vantage points for the acrobats and gymnasts – at times, if you are sat in the front row, you can reach out and touch the performers! The main stalls seating has some restricted views so make sure you choose wisely.
The gymnasts and acrobats need no tailoring of their performance for the younger audience. Mallakhamb India, L J Marles and Lea Hinz wow the audience with their amazing stunts, suppleness and agility. Their performances have the children wide eyed and mouths opens with their feats of strength and dexterity. Michelle Clarke hits the stage with a mystic and magical quality. She has the ability to make her hula hoops float through the air as if they are defying gravity – her performance is mesmerising.
Amy G gives a unique performance that is perfectly pitched for the younger audience. It has none of the crudeness or cringe worthiness of her evening show. She has both children and adults rolling with laughter and engages with the children in the audience.
Cabaret Decadanse could have been better pitched to the younger audience by choosing songs which would have engaged the younger audience better. I felt that it was unnecessary for one of the puppeteers to have her top ripped open and expose her underwear. This added nothing to the performance and I thought that it was slightly inappropriate for a children’s show.
Daredevil Chicken had the potential to engage with the young audience as their humour is slightly slapstick. Unfortunately this was not toned down enough for a children’s show Although funny in places their short skits had a crudeness which just wasn’t appropriate for the youthful clientele.
The show is just an hour long which makes you feel you have been slightly short changed. The show felt a little too short – its was over almost as it had begun. With the incredible talent they have in the main show La Petite version could be a huge hit, but they are missing the mark. The show needs to be more tailored to the younger market. It is an edited version of the main show which doesn’t seem to have had much thought behind how it has been cut down.
They have the potential to offer a knockout children’s production which would make a great Christmas treat but as it stands it is vastly lacking! More thought, less crudeness and this could be a 5 star children’s show.
ANNOUNCES AN ASTONISHING LINE-UP OF JAW DROPPING NEW ACTS AND RETURNING FAVOURITES FOR ITS WINTER RUN IN LONDON’S GLITTERING WEST END. JOINED BY ITS BRAND NEW FAMILY-FRIENDLY SHOW, LA PETITE SOIRÉE, THE SHOW WILL RESIDE AT THE ALDWYCH THEATRE UNTIL FEBRUARY 2018.
“We are beyond excited to be coming to London’s West End this Christmas to create havoc in the grand Aldwych Theatre with La Soirée and our brand new afternoon offspring La Petite Soirée. This glamorous old dame of a theatre has allowed us to present work above and beyond our beloved spiegeltent, so prepare to meet a whole host of new gravity defying artists that will make your head spin and as your sides split with laughter! And whilst the opportunities to dazzle have expanded we will still be performing on our little round, red stage and the much-loved intimacy of La Soirée shall remain. So we dare you…come on up to the Aldwych stage and get up close and personal with these astounding performers.”
Brett Haylock, Creative Producer of La Soirée.
La Soirée’s heady cocktail of intimate cabaret, comedy, circus sideshow and contemporary variety is more potent than ever and this is their most daring line up to date. Putting the Aldwych Theatre in a spin, La Soirée will transform this traditional theatre into an intimate cabaret club with La Soirée’s much-loved, in-the-round seating still in place. So step in from the cold, leave your troubles at the door and prepare to be charmed, astonished and electrified by the very loveable crème de la crème of the cabaret world.
DAZZLING AND DANGEROUS DEBUTS INCLUDE:
THE CHILLY BROTHERS CRADLE ACT featuring NATHAN BRISCOE AND MAXIME BLANCKAERT
MALLAKHAMB INDIA! featuring RAJESH AMRALE WITH RAJESH RAO
LEA HINZ on ARIAL HOOP
LJ MARLES on his unique TENSION STRAPS
MICHELE CLARK on HULA HOOP
HAIRHANG by FANCY CHANCE
HAND TO HAND featuring LEON FAGBEMI and KLODI DABKIEWICZ
SYMONÉ on HULA HOOP
RETURNING FAVOURITES FROM THE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY:
AMY G
CABARET DECADENSE featuring ANDRÉ-ANNE LE BLANC AND STEPHEN QUINLAN
DAREDEVIL CHICKEN CLUB featuring JONATHAN TAYLOR AND ANNE GOLDMAN
This Christmas will also be the first time that La Soirée is offering La Petite Soirée, a family-friendly, fun and daring hour-long show for cabaret fans of all ages that promises all the spirit of the Olivier Award winning entertainment but less of the sauce. La Petite Soirée will play at 3pm on Saturdays and throughout the Christmas holidays.
More artists for La Soirée and La Petite Soirée to be announced soon.
La Soirée and La Petite Soirée are presented by Brett Haylock, Mark Rubinstein and Mick Perrin
LA SOIRÉE
24 November 2017 – 3 February 2018
Monday – Friday at 8pm | Saturday at 6pm & 9pm
Aldwych Theatre
Tickets from £19.50 | Early bird offer: £10 off all shows up to and including 7 December if you book by 15 November 2017.
Running Time is approximately 2 hours including interval
La Soirée may contain nudity and is recommended for ages 17+
LA PETITE SOIRÉE
Saturdays at 3pm
Extra performances on 27, 28, 29, 30 December 2017 & 2 January 2018
Tickets from £15
Running Time is approximately 1 hour with no interval
La Petite Soirée family friendly performances are suitable for all ages
Photography by – Matt Hennem, SweetLips photography, Pablo Wunsch Blanco, Brinkhoff-Moegenburg, Perou, Tom Watkins, GOP Variety, Chris Gardner and Claudio Raschella
