Creative Director: David Bates
The trouble with having seen La Clique before is that you’ve got something to compare it to. Gallivanting somewhere magical between the old cabaret variety tradition, a filthy burlesque show, and an intimate acrobatics circus, it is entirely original, with a spice and flavour all its own.
Having been going since 2004, this year’s pick, you’ll be relieved to hear, is just as heart-stoppingly talented, funny and drop-dead beautiful as ever. The only gripe is that the inimitable MC Bernie Dieter appears to have said goodbye after three years. It seems creative director David Bates also believes her irreplaceable because this year there is no MC. But it’s a detail only regular attendants will miss because there’s hardly a second to take a swig of prosecco before another jaw-dropping, diamond-studded, sixpack-bearing act follows the last, so perhaps there just wasn’t time for a little MC banter between feats.
Miss Jolie Papillon sets the tone, appearing in a glittering corset and huge, sumptuous tail feathers. One might ask how someone only wearing a corset could perform a strip-tease; well, Miss Papillon is here to show you. It’s quite amazing how little there is to this act in theory, but Papillon makes a fine art of it.
Thereafter, it does feel a little like each act is merely trying to come up with increasingly creative ways to take their clothes off. Sam Goodburn does it on a unicycle while catching biscuits in his mouth, David Pereira does it dressed as Jesus on an aerial cross. But perhaps the most outrageous is Tara Boom, sporting a *working* popcorn machine on her head, and stripping fairly quickly so that she might butter and salt herself up, while hula-ing multiple hoops. It is bizarre and chaotic and, what with popcorn kernels falling all over the stage, genuinely dangerous, and it’s a perfect example of what makes La Clique so utterly brilliant. Her second act, one should note, couldn’t be more contrasting: In a chic white suit, Boom presents the most elegant foot-umbrella dance, raining rose petals across the stage.
Live instrumentation has also been cut this year, but what with the exquisite lighting and bold-as-ever costume design, it’s hardly missed, except perhaps when Ashley Stroud belts her heart out. A backing track doesn’t take away from her insane talent, it’s more that she deserves a live band, or at least a couple of backing singers.
Whilst every act showcases some mad stunt, there are also lashings of comedy throughout the whole evening, balancing the evening perfectly between entertaining and awe-inspiring. Sam Goodburn ingeniously coaxing an audience member on stage with a fishing rod and a handful of biscuits, for example, is a highlight of the evening. Then again, he’s also a very talented unicyclist who makes it look not just easy, but fun and ridiculous.
La Clique has yet to be bested by any other adult Christmas show. Sure, it’s far from family-friendly, but that’s what panto is for. This is just a rollicking good time.
Runs until 7 January 2023
