Leicester Square Speigeltent, London – until 5 January 2025
Reviewed by Ava Clarkson
4****
The invite to review the 20th Anniversary showing of La Clique in Leicester Squares Speigeltent was much anticipated. Having reviewed this last year, I was looking forward to a night of “Cabaret, Circus, Comedy, Music” Housed inside the “Speigeltent” in the centre of the Leicester Square Christmas market, the atmosphere as you walk inside the big top is amazing and feels like the start of the festive season. A holly decked bar greets you in a pre-show room, as you wait to enter the show. The staff are friendly and welcoming, and the compère invites you to enjoy the show and leave your troubles outside. The big top again feels like Victorian times with music akin to the Greatest Showman and a beautiful burgundy velvet tented ceiling. We are seated circled around a small red centre stage, and at the edge of the tent are saloon style booths.
Twenty years ago, David Bates unveiled La Clique at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It has gone on to become a theatrical phenomenon and has toured the globe. Critics have been unanimous in their praise: “amazing, hilarious, exotic, erotic, stunning, mesmerising, breath-takingly skilled … La Clique is a rare and unmissable treat”. The show is hailed as a 16+ event and we are informed that the line-up could change night by night, but we are guaranteed a brilliant experience in the La Clique Speigeltent.
First up and setting the scene of what is yet to come is Miranda Menzies, in her second season with La Clique. She defies belief as she is attached to the ceiling by her hair and spun round and round at great speed. Her act of ancient hair suspension keeps the audience looking to the skies as we watch her muscular body contort and spin. We see her later in the evening too morphing inside a giant balloon in an alluring nightgown, only to pop out with a loud bang wearing not much more than her pants!
We are treated to various circus style acts over the evening from the likes of Americas Got Talent Semi Finalist Tap Dancer Bayley Graham whose energetic and fast paced routine has us mesmerised by his feet. Cornelius Atkinson hangs from the ceiling on 2 simple ropes – shirtless, tanned and toned, his pure strength and aerial stunts are astonishing – as are his muscles on muscles! Katherine Arnold arrives from the velvet curtains to the music “weirdo”. She climbs into the wooden hoop and expertly spins and whirls around, up and down to the haunting music. Arnold is a regular on the London cabaret scene, performing in iconic venues such as Circus London, Proud Cabaret and The Box. Danik Abishev performs his show on his hands, hopping from one tall pole to another with ease and an air of cheekiness as he strips to his pants. Nathan Price and Isis Clegg-Vinell a roller skating “Dysfunctional Duo” take over the stage and the audience is asked to remain seated. The speed in which they spin around the tiny red stage is truly thrilling.
The audience holds its breath throughout their performance and indeed later in the evening when they are joined by Cornelius Atkinson to become Trio Vertex for a combination of roller skating and aerial stunts you will not want to miss.
The humour is bought to the stage by Florian Brooks and his acrobatic goldfish – Bubbly! Florian spins his goldfish (pretend of course – no animals were hurt during this performance!) around and around in a glass of water on a hoop. He then returns to show off his exceptional juggling skills later in the evening, with a speed of hand I’ve not seen before.
But the performer of the night for me was Asher Treleaven who hilariously performs with a Diablo, raunchily gyrating around his body and chatting away to us as he does. A member of the audience is involved and enthusiastically joins in with Asher’s banter. He flirts with the men and the woman and when he returns to the stage later, he reads to us – you may think “how can this be funny” but the audience is in fits of laughter as he reads a raunchy story with hilarious voices, accents and acting.
Although this is the 20th anniversary opening night which brings high expectation, I do not feel it was as risqué or varied as last year’s show. The circus style acts were outstanding, the danger, strength, and grace of the performers underneath the beautiful Speigeltent roof is a remarkable sight, but in previous years there has been more singers, comedy and variety acts brought out. La Clique does state each evenings line up could be different though… This being said the acts defy gravity and common sense in way that leaves us on the edge of our seats throughout. La Clique is the perfect night out for the festive season.