An inventive idea that needs more effort to be top fry.
The Moulin Bouge is a potato-themed cabaret variety show. A fun concept that unfortunately falls flat in its execution.
It’s a Friday afternoon at 5pm and the crowd are mixed. Mostly adults, a few couples. A front row full of pre-teen girls armed with crisps.
The host arrives adorned in a dress covered in crisp packets, and has some funny moments. A rap has the front row in stitches, and a branded Star Wars cap adapted to ‘Starch Wars’ shows some thought has gone into the details.
Most of the show feels like existing acts shoehorned into having some kind of vague link to spuds. This feels somewhat disappointing. There’s a clearly talented burlesque/circus performer who spins around on a ring above the stage. Before her usual act, small faux potatoes are flung at the audience. The link is tenuous.
The Moulin Bouge advise on their website that the show is ‘not specifically made for kids, but in our experience, they love it!’. This is definitely true with some segments, the ‘chips’ made out of pool noodles go down a particular storm with the pre-teen crowd. But why, then the elongated section on Titanic, which has nothing to do with potatoes at all, and doesn’t resonate with children or adults? This isn’t the only section that feels irrelevant, with more than one excursion from an act dubbed ‘Potathoven’ – actually just a man in a suit playing a saw with a violin bow.
A boxing segment brings questions of health and safety, as a potato is knocked-out from ropes towards the crowd. The host suggests the audience practice holding their arms up in front of their faces in case it flies towards them. With a front row filled with children, is this adequate? A section with a dog supposedly called Potato is funny at moments, but he clearly doesn’t want to be on stage and just wants a treat. There’s humour in his refusal to follow training until they meet his demands, but this does not come across as intentional.
The circus elements of this show are enchanting, with an act dubbed the Potato Burglar and a final scene with paper planes being particularly enjoyable. This reviewer feels it’s better to do a standard variety show well, than a themed variety show poorly.
Sadly, this show is decidedly half-baked. Others do this theme better. With the spudtastic Tatties on Tour providing ludicrously entertaining potato-based comedy, The Moulin Bouge could do with taking a leaf out of their (cook)book.
Reviewed on 16 May. Runs until 23 May.
