Review: La Clique, Spiegeltent Leicester Square - Sexy, saucy, wow moments and laughs
17/11/2019
There is a festive start to the La Clique cabaret of song and acrobatic show but naturally, it is ironic.
This is the church of misfits and weirdos where difference is celebrated in a decadent, saucy and sometimes humorous way.
Our hostess/compere for the evening is Bernie Dieter, whom I saw in a similar role for Little Death Club on the South Bank in April.
In a sequined catsuit and towering stilettos, she sets a tone that pushes beyond suggestiveness, singling out audience members for humourous/cringe-worthy humiliation (don't sit near the front if you want to left alone).
She launches us towards a dazzling array of acrobatics and circus acts with live music accompaniment by singer Kelly Wolfgramm and band.
Dieter pops up from time to time throughout - if you've seen her before her repertoire will be familiar - and Wolfgramm also comes forward to perform songs periodically (cue an impromptu singalong to her version of Roxette's It Must Have Been Love).
Acts with added sauce and sexiness
The acts may be familiar - aerial acrobatics, hair hanging, juggling, sword swallowing, fire eating etc but each is delivered with a brash sauciness, the costumes often looking like something from the window display of Agent Provocateur or a men's aftershave advert.
Nonetheless, you can't accuse the performers of using titillation as cheap entertainment, they are extremely skilled often bringing a fresh edge to the familiar.
One particular highlight was fire eater and sword swallower Heather Holliday who manages to blend seductive and sexy with the grotesque.
A guest appearance of 'Bath Boy' Stephen Williams also left its mark. He takes the whole shrink to fit jeans idea to a new level, not so much soaking in a bathtub but flirting with it and performing breathtaking aerial acrobatics.
There is one occasion of full nudity - if that is something that bothers you - but this show doesn't feel exploitative with both male and female performers dressed (or undressed) to arouse.
It is a celebratory and alluring show of high spirits, suggestive and sexy yes but with buckets of wow moments and plenty of laughs.
La Clique is great, grown-up entertainment, perfect for a dark winter evening in Soho and I'm giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
The running time is approximately 2 hours including an interval and the bar is open throughout.
It is part of the Christmas in Leicester Square festivities in the Spiegeltent and is on until 4 January, ticket details can be found here.
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