Imagine a world where a man in a bathtub engages himself in a wild acrobatic number, a chubby gentleman diva, called “le gateau au chocolat” sings opera while dressed in a lycra bodysuit, a woman swallows a sword while sipping wine, two gentlemen read a newspaper as they perform impossible gymnastic acts….A bit odd? Definitely yes… but it exists: La Soiree.
After being a major success in cities such as Paris, Sydney and New York, La Soiree, which performed for the first time in 2004 at the Edinburgh Festival, has opened the doors of its pop up tent in London’s South Bank, behind the National theatre.
When entering the 1920’s tent, embellished with carved wood, polished mirrors and crystals, the audience feels like leaving behind ordinary life, and entering a world of mystery, comedy and cabaret, a planet where fantasy meets reality and where everything is possible.
Even though the daily line up is subject to change, promising the participation of various different acts through out the season, the main performers include artists such as Captain Frodo, the Norwegian double-jointed rubber man who tries to squeeze and manipulate his body to fit into a tennis racquet, David O’Mer, a Berlin born gymnast, known as Bath Boy for his arial routine performed from a bathtub, and Miss Behave, an eccentric lady described as a “husky-voiced comic and gorgeous live cartoon”.
Among the stars of the evening shines the performance of The English Gents, Denis Lock and Hamish McCann, two artists that execute incredible acrobatic performances while playing the humorous part of two English gentlemen.
The small central round stage is key to the enjoyment of the evening, allowing the audience not only to interact with the performers, but also to be active part of the show. For over two hours the crowd is captured by the absurd edgy twist on cabaret, which, mixing together humour skill, naughtiness and suspense,combines the fun of a variety show with the quirkiness of burlesque.
The captivating performances are not only physically extraordinary but surprisingly motivational and touching. They inspire us “normal” people to look out of the box, and search for the realm of fantasy, of burlesque, of pure fun, of absurdity, and we may realize that that their world is not so freaky or crazy after all.
The show ends with the last performance of Captain Frodo, who perched on top of a stack of tin cans, exhorts the audience to follow their dreams. La Soiree is not just a night of fun and entertainment, but is an expression of the power of determination in pushing boundaries and limits, a living proof that when there is a will there is a way.
24 Jan 2011:
Hold on to your hats as London welcomes back The English Gents, Captain Frodo, David O’Mer (Bath Boy) and Miss Behave, the stars from La Clique now performing in La Soirée.Extra members can save £15 per ticket