La Soiree

Played out on a round circus stage, this jaw-dropping, gasp-inducing, and at times utterly cringe-worthy combination of cabaret, circus and contemporary variety leaves the audience lost for words from the very second they dim the lights at the Studio.

This can be credited to the show’s opening act, Le Gateau Chocolat, a lycra-clad, opera-singing diva who is also in some way the night’s host. With a massive singing voice, Le Gateau’s rendition of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ works brilliantly with his gold, skin-tight bodysuit, beard and false lashes. The deliciously shameless star loves a good chat with the audience, and gets a bit too close for comfort with some, so prepare for some intense attention if you’re seated in the front row.  

The talent of each performer is astounding. Bret Pfister’s aerial hoop act sets a dark, sultry vibe that is hard to shake off even throughout the next act. His amazing physical skill is complemented by an eccentric, sensual confidence, which proves rare even in this outlandish line-up. Old favourites the English Gents deliver a pin-striped acrobatic triumph of strength and balance, and a patriotic strip-down to bodies you couldn’t have seen coming. Jess Love hoola hoops her way through charming the audience with her naughty-but-nice stage persona, and, yes, David O’Mer aka Bath Boy gets them every time. Captain Frodo’s painful flexibility aroused screeches from audience members, although he did warn us that his act “will be more painful for you than it will for me!”

Possibly the most outrageous of the bunch (and that’s saying a lot), Ursula Martinez is a combination of sophistication, stunt and striptease. There was no shortage of dropped jaws as Martinez took her impish magic trick involving a red hanky to completely unexpected lengths. In a second appearance, Martinez showed off her comedic side with tales of her Spanish mother’s misuse of English that had the whole audience roaring with laughter.

Newcomer Mookie also brought the laughs by making use of her body parts as cue cards for an understandably uncomfortable audience member brought up to centre stage for a Romeo & Juliet-themed role play and lip-sync session.

Perhaps the best thing about La Soiree is the variety. Just when you begin to get dizzy from the bombardment of abs and biceps, out comes a fully clothed Mooky with her 20s-inspired costume and quirky comedy. The rotation of acts is very cleverly thought out, and take this as a plus or a minus, but members of the La Soiree family are rotated around different nights so you’re not guaranteed to see your favourite but you are guaranteed to see something equally as amazing.