''La Soirée'' is a cabaret/variety show presented by Brett Haylock, Mark Rubinstein and Mick Perrin that debuted in London in October 2010 to rave reviews.
[(6 September 2010)]
''What's on Stage''. The show features a number of artists who previously appeared in ''
La Clique
''La Clique'' is a cabaret/variety show with Australian roots first conceived for the 2004 season of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was originally performed in The Famous Spiegeltent with a small circular stage at fringe festivals, but since ...
'', a variety show co-created by Brett Haylock. Haylock was also the Creative Producer of ''La Clique''. ''La Soirée'' is traditionally presented with a small, circular red stage as its centerpiece, with the audience sitting in rows surrounding the stage. The show features a rotating cast of approximately 25 artists, with the acts varying from night to night.
The cast of ''La Soirée''′s first season in London included previous ''
La Clique
''La Clique'' is a cabaret/variety show with Australian roots first conceived for the 2004 season of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was originally performed in The Famous Spiegeltent with a small circular stage at fringe festivals, but since ...
'' artists
Captain Frodo, David O'Mer, The English Gents and
Miss Behave
Amy Saunders also known as Miss Behave, is a British-born producer, performer, comedian and curator. She is a self-taught sword swallower and performs in cabarets.
Career
Saunders is mostly known as a sword swallower. She has broken the Gui ...
. The cast also included returning ''
La Clique
''La Clique'' is a cabaret/variety show with Australian roots first conceived for the 2004 season of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was originally performed in The Famous Spiegeltent with a small circular stage at fringe festivals, but since ...
'' artists
Ursula Martinez,
Camille O'Sullivan
Camille O'Sullivan is an Irish musician, vocalist, and actress. O'Sullivan is known for her unique, dramatic musical style and covers of artists such as Radiohead, Tom Waits, and David Bowie. As an actress, O'Sullivan has appeared in Mrs Hende ...
,
Meow Meow,
[Girvan, Andrew (8 February 2011]
"Xmas Soirée Planned for Roundhouse, 23 Nov"
''What's on Stage''. Cabaret Decadanse, Le Gateau Chocolat,
Marawa and Jess Love, as well as new cast member Mooky Cornish. The season took place in the South Bank Big Top tent on London's
South Bank
The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial district in central London, next to the River Thames opposite the City of Westminster. It forms a narrow strip of riverside land within the London Borough of Lambeth (where it adjoins Alber ...
, behind the
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
.
Some of the cast of ''La Soirée'' first performed together as ''
La Clique
''La Clique'' is a cabaret/variety show with Australian roots first conceived for the 2004 season of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was originally performed in The Famous Spiegeltent with a small circular stage at fringe festivals, but since ...
'' in 2004 at The
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
. Since then, ''La Clique'' has performed in several cities, including London, New York (as "Absinthe: Les Artistes de La Clique"), Paris, Sydney, Stockholm and Dublin. In 2009, ''La Clique'' won a
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Family Show is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976 ...
for their 2008 London season hosted by Haylock.
["Olivier Winners 2009"]
''Olivier Awards''. Since its inaugural season in London at the South Bank, ''La Soirée'' has completed seasons in Australia, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, and returned to London for another Christmas season at
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...
. ''La Soirée'' has also announced seasons in Montreal, Canada; Chicago, USA; and an extensive Australian tour that reached Darwin, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide in 2012 and 2013. In September 2013, it was announced that ''La Soirée'' would be opening a season at the
Union Square Theatre
Union Square Theatre was the name of two different theatres near Union Square, Manhattan, New York City. The first was a Broadway theatre that opened in 1870, was converted into a cinema in 1921 and closed in 1936.(8 October 1921)Two landmarks to ...
in New York City, commencing 29 October 2013,
[BWW News Desk (12 September 2013]
"LA SOIREE Set for Limited Run at Union Square Theatre; Performances to Begin 10/29"
''Broadway World''. for which it won an Off Broadway Alliance Award in the category of Best Unique Theatrical Experience.
[Purcell, Carey (27 May 2014]
"Off Broadway Alliance Awards Go To ''Fun Home'', ''Hand to God'' and ''Saint Joan''"
. ''Playbill''. In May 2014, ''La Soirée'' made its South American debut in
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, performing in an acclaimed season at the Buenos Aires Polo Circo.
Seasons
London, United Kingdom; October 2010 – February 2011
''La Soirée's'' inaugural season debuted in London at the South Bank Big Top in October 2010.
[ The cast included previous '']La Clique
''La Clique'' is a cabaret/variety show with Australian roots first conceived for the 2004 season of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was originally performed in The Famous Spiegeltent with a small circular stage at fringe festivals, but since ...
'' artists Captain Frodo, David O'Mer, The English Gents, Miss Behave
Amy Saunders also known as Miss Behave, is a British-born producer, performer, comedian and curator. She is a self-taught sword swallower and performs in cabarets.
Career
Saunders is mostly known as a sword swallower. She has broken the Gui ...
, Ursula Martinez, Camille O'Sullivan
Camille O'Sullivan is an Irish musician, vocalist, and actress. O'Sullivan is known for her unique, dramatic musical style and covers of artists such as Radiohead, Tom Waits, and David Bowie. As an actress, O'Sullivan has appeared in Mrs Hende ...
, Cabaret Decadanse, Le Gateau Chocolat, Marawa, Jess Love, Bret Pfister, Hugo Desmarais and Meow Meow, as well as new cast member Mooky Cornish.
In November 2010, the producers of ''La Soirée'' announced that its London run was extended to 27 February 2011 due to phenomenal demand. The original ending date for the season was 30 January 2011.[
]
Umeå and Stockholm, Sweden; March – April 2011
After a successful Swedish season as ''La Clique
''La Clique'' is a cabaret/variety show with Australian roots first conceived for the 2004 season of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It was originally performed in The Famous Spiegeltent with a small circular stage at fringe festivals, but since ...
'' in 2010, it was announced that ''La Soirée'' was returning to Umeå's Idunteatern and Stockholm's Gröna Lund
Gröna Lund (; "Green Grove"), or colloquially ''Grönan'' (), is an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. Located on the seaward side of Djurgården Island, it is relatively small compared to other amusement parks, mainly because of its central l ...
for a six-week season.[(10 December 2010)]
"LA SOIRÉE featuring stars from La Clique"
''Södra Teatern''. The cast included Ursula Martinez, Captain Frodo, The English Gents, David O'Mer, Cabaret Decadanse, The Skating Willers, Amy G, Yulia Pykhtina and Le Gateau Chocolat, all of whom have appeared in previous seasons of ''La Clique'' or ''La Soirée''.[
]
Aalborg, Denmark; October 2011
After performing for two consecutive years at the Aarhus Festuge
Aarhus Festuge (Aarhus Festival) is a 10-day arts and culture festival in the city of Aarhus, Denmark. It takes place every year in late August to early September (in weeks 35-36).
The first Aarhus Festival happened in 1965, after being establi ...
in Aarhus, Denmark as ''La Clique'', ''La Soirée'' returned to Denmark, playing at the Skråen i Nordkraft venue as part of the Aalborg
Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...
Fringe Festival. The cast included previous ''La Clique'' artists Yulia Pykhtina, The English Gents, Hugo Desmarais, Captain Frodo, Amy G, Susannah Martinez, David O’Mer and Le Gateau Chocolat, as well as new cast members Chris & Iris.
London, United Kingdom; November 2011 – January 2012
In early 2011, the producers of ''La Soirée'' announced that for the 2011 Christmas season, ''La Soirée'' would return to perform in The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...
for a 10-week season.[ ''La Clique'' previously played at The Roundhouse during the 2009 Christmas season, where it broke box-office records for the fastest selling show in pre-opening sales, grossing over £500,000 in sales before its first performance. The cast for this London season included previous ''La Clique'' artists Yulia Pykhtina, The English Gents, Mooky, Le Gateau Chocolat, Katharine Arnold, Hugo Desmarais, Chris & Iris and Mario, Queen of the Circus. In addition, regular ''La Clique'' cast members The Skating Willers announced that after thirty years of performing together, this London season at The Roundhouse would be their last together. The cast also included artists Nate Cooper, ]Paul Capsis
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
* Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
, Omar Cortes, Up & Over It and comedian David Armand
David Armand (born David Robert Whitehead in September 1977) is an English comedian, actor and writer who has performed on stage, film, radio and most notably, television, where the shows he has appeared in include '' Fast and Loose'', ''Episo ...
, all of whom were performing in a ''La Soirée'' season for the first time.[Bennett, Steve (29 November 2011)]
"La Soirée 2011"
''Chortle''.
In October 2011, London newspaper ''The Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' shortlisted ''La Soirée'' for an Evening Standard Award
The ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre, and are organised by the ''Evening Standa ...
in the category of Best Night Out at the Theatre, calling it "a joyous evening of the outrageous, bizarre and beautiful, as variety blended with cabaret and threw in some burlesque for good measure." ''La Soirée'' was nominated against long-running London West End productions ''Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'', ''Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' and ''Wicked
Wicked may refer to:
Books
* Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe
* ''Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name
* ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' ser ...
''.[Mountford, Fiona (18 October 2011)]
"Razzle, Dazzle"
, ''Evening Standard''.
In November 2011, ''La Soirée'' was also nominated in the first annual London Cabaret Awards, which celebrate the growing cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
scene in London. ''La Soirée'' won in the category of Best One-Off Show.["London Cabaret Awards Best One-Off Show"]
''London Cabaret Awards''.
Sydney, Australia; January – February 2012
After having previously played as ''La Clique'' in Sydney as part of Sydney Festival
Sydney Festival is a major arts festival in Australia's largest city, Sydney that runs for three weeks every January, since it was established in 1977. The festival program features in excess of 100 events from local and international artists an ...
, ''La Soirée''’s producers announced that ''La Soirée'' would return to perform a season at the iconic Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
. Due to overwhelming demand, the show ended up extending its season twice, running for an unprecedented 10 weeks at the Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
. ''La Soirée''’s Sydney cast included David O’Mer, Captain Frodo, The English Gents, Ursula Martinez, Jess Love, Mooky, Bret Pfister, Gerry Connolly
Gerald Edward Connolly (born March 30, 1950) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 11th congressional district, first elected in 2008. The district is anchored in Fairfax County, an affluent suburban count ...
, Yulia Pykhtina, Le Gateau Chocolat, Susannah Martinez and Mario, Queen of the Circus.
Adelaide, Australia; March 2012
Following its Australian debut as ''La Soirée'' at the Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
, the producers announced that the show would return to the Adelaide Fringe Festival
The Adelaide Fringe, formerly Adelaide Fringe Festival, is the world's second-largest annual arts festival (after the Edinburgh Festival Fringe), held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Between mid-February and mid-March each year, ...
in 2012, performing in The Garden of Unearthly Delights. The nine-show season was completely sold out.[Lewis, Rod (16 March 2012)]
"La Soirée - 2012 Adelaide Fringe"
''GLAM Adelaide''. At the conclusion of the festival, ''La Soirée'' was awarded the BankSA Pick of the Fringe by the festival, an award given to the Fringe “experience” demonstrating overall excellence.[(19 March 2012)]
"Fringe Award Winners"
''Adelaide Fringe''. ''La Soirée'' was also shortlisted for BankSA Best Cabaret Award. The cast of the Adelaide season included Mooky, David O’Mer, Captain Frodo, The English Gents, Susannah Martinez, Le Gateau Chocolat, Yulia Pykhtina and Mario, Queen of the Circus.[
]
Hamburg, Germany; May – June 2012
In May 2012, ''La Soirée'' made its German debut in Hamburg at the Fliegende Bauten Hamburg
Fliegende Bauten Hamburg is a theatre in Hamburg, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous ...
venue for a six-week season. The cast included Mario, Queen of the Circus, Amy G, Yulia Pykhtina, Mooky, Susannah Martinez, The English Gents, Captain Frodo, Miss Behave
Amy Saunders also known as Miss Behave, is a British-born producer, performer, comedian and curator. She is a self-taught sword swallower and performs in cabarets.
Career
Saunders is mostly known as a sword swallower. She has broken the Gui ...
and David O’Mer.
Critical reception
The 2010 London season of ''La Soirée'' opened to numerous strong reviews from theatre critics. Following its press night on 21 October 2010, ''La Soirée'' received four-star reviews from ''Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
'',[McGinn, Caroline (27 October 2010)]
"Show of the Week: La Soirée"
''Time Out''. ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'',[Logan, Brian (25 October 2010)]
"La Soirée - review"
''The Guardian''. ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'',[Spencer, Charles (25 October 2010)]
"La Soirée, Spiegeltent, London, review"
''The Daily Telegraph''. ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', ''The Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'',[Jays, David (31 October 2010). "La Soirée". ''The Sunday Times''.] ''Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'',[ Shuttleworth, Ian (22 October 2010)]
"La Soirée, South Bank Big Top, London"
''Financial Times''. ''Evening Standard'',[Mountford, Fiona (22 October 2010)]
"Big-top cabaret frolics from La Soirée are just the thing to banish gloomy reality"
. ''Evening Standard''. ''Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
'',[Watson, Keith (25 October 2010). "La Clique crew click again". ''Metro''.] Boyz[Cattell, Joseph (4 November 2010). "La Soirée". ''Boyz Magazine''.] and UK websites MusicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
[Smith, Sam (25 October 2010)]
"La Soirée"
''MusicOMH''. and Whatsonstage.com
WhatsOnStage.com is a London-based website that provides information about, and offers tickets for, theatrical performances in the United Kingdom. It also organises the annual WhatsOnStage Awards. Founded in 1996, it has been owned by the Americ ...
. The show received five-star reviews from the ''Sunday Express
The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
''[Shenton, Mark (7 November 2010)]
"Reviews: La Soirée, Blasted, Red Bud, Novecento and The Two Character Play"
''Sunday Express''. and ''Pink Paper
The ''Pink Paper'' was a UK publication covering gay and lesbian issues published by Millivres Prowler Limited. Founded in 1987 as a newspaper, it switched to internet-only publication in June 2009. The decision to go online-only was announced ...
''. Positive reviews for ''La Soirée'' were also received from ''The Stage
''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...
'', Official London Theatre and the UK comedy website, Chortle.
Writing for the ''Sunday Express'', Mark Shenton commented: "Christmas arrives earlier every year, it seems, but ''La Soirée'', a rebranded but happily not repackaged version of the circus burlesque ''La Clique'' previously seen at Hippodrome, London
The Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survi ...
and The Roundhouse, is the first show to engender all-year-round festive cheer."[ Caroline McGinn of ''Time Out'' rated ''La Soirée'' "Show of the Week" and said: "'La Clique'′s sequel, 'La Soirée', has the same winning formula plus a line-up that's the strongest yet" and is "something you won't find elsewhere in the mainstream: variety that's genuinely varied - and burlesque with balls."][ The Critics' Choice section of the same magazine noted "the freakishly talented folk from 'La Clique' are back in a plush new South Bank tent and the line up, with old acts doing new tricks, and some new faces, is better than ever."
In '']The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', Brian Logan wrote: "Beautiful. Funny. Impossible. La Soirée's triumph is that there's not a single moment when one, two or all three of those terms don't apply" and described the show as "timeless and unpretentious, captivating and almost as light as air."[ Stu Hurford of ]Pink Paper
The ''Pink Paper'' was a UK publication covering gay and lesbian issues published by Millivres Prowler Limited. Founded in 1987 as a newspaper, it switched to internet-only publication in June 2009. The decision to go online-only was announced ...
wrote that "the whole evening offers a quirky sense of fun, which is the true genius of a show like La Soirée."[ In ]Boyz (magazine)
''Boyz'' is a free, London-based magazine targeted at gay, gay men and the LGBT community. It is distributed mainly through gay bars, Public house, pubs, nightclub, clubs shops and Gay bathhouse, saunas in the United Kingdom. In July 2019 ''Boy ...
, Joseph Cattell commented: "Funny and surprisingly touching, La Soirée is not only testament to the breathtaking beauty and strength of the human body, but proof that freaks really do have all the fun. An unmissable evening."[ ''Evening Standard''′s Fiona Mountford commented: "The exuberant international stars of last year's award-winning entertainment La Clique are not the sorts to be down in the dumps for long, which is why their sparkling new show, celebrating the ongoing revival of the variety/cabaret genre, is just the thing to combat the gloom."][ '']The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''′s Charles Spencer echoed this sentiment: "Mixing good humour and glamour with a thrilling frisson of danger, La Soirée offers a wonderfully warm and welcoming refuge from the cold, scary world outside."[
]Ian Shuttleworth
Terence Ian Shuttleworth (born 6 July 1963 in Belfast, UK) is a Northern Irish theatre critic and author. He was joint senior theatre critic for the ''Financial Times'' from May 2007 until March 2019. He was editor and publisher of ''Theatre Recor ...
of the ''Financial Times'' called ''La Soirée'' "the continuation of La Clique...as a return to this alternative cabaret show's roots" and stated that "shows such as La Soirée confirm that variety cabaret isn't dead yet, and that it would be a shame to lose it."[ David Jays of ''The Sunday Times'' commented that the show "generates enough cheer to survive the bleakest winter"][ and naming ''La Soirée'' "Theatre Pick of the Week", said "the team behind La Clique bring supreme talent to bear on madcap acts." ''Metro'' newspaper's Keith Watson said: "La Soirée is La Clique rebooted, with most of the top acts from last year's giddy marriage of acrobatics and burlesque giving their tricks a new twist. But even if you caught La Clique, you won't feel shortchanged."][ Writing for ]MusicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
, Sam Smith stated: "La Soirée is essentially the new incarnation of La Clique, and retains some of the original production team, many of the original performers, and undoubtedly the same spirit of wacky, alternative and mesmerizing fun."[
Upon its return to London in its second year at The Roundhouse, ''La Soirée'' again received strong to rave reviews from theatre critics. Five-star reviews were received from ''Time Out''][Lelliott, Abigail (5 December 2011)]
"La Soirée"
. ''Time Out''. and the ''Sunday Express'', while four-star reviews were given by The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
,[Logan, Brian (19 December 2011)]
"La Soirée - review"
''The Guardian''. ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''[Spencer, Charles (20 December 2011)]
"La Soirée, Roundhouse, review"
''The Daily Telegraph''. and the ''Evening Standard''.[Dessau, Bruce (29 November 2011)]
"La Soirée, Roundhouse - review"
. ''Evening Standard''. Positive reviews for ''La Soirée'' were again received from ''The Stage''[Shenton, Mark (28 November 2011)]
"La Soirée"
''The Stage''. and ''Chortle''.[
After its press night on 28 November 2011, ''Time Out's'' Abigail Lelliott rated ''La Soirée'' five stars, calling it "endearing and exhilarating, pure adrenalin-fuelled entertainment at its best. The perfect Christmas cracker"][ while pointing out that "the seamless production allows no time for you to pick your jaw up off the floor before the next act takes to the stage."][ In a glowing review, Mark Shenton of ''The Stage'' claimed that "this ever-morphing smorgasbord of cabaret delights is pure pleasure, achieving a scintillating combination of dash and daring, sexy and silly, and wicked and witty."][ ''The Daily Telegraph''′s Charles Spencer praised the cast "as stuffed with good things as the richest of Christmas puddings" and declared "there isn't a dud act on the bill. For risqué humour and spectacular stunts, La Soiree remains the best ticket in town."][ The ''Evening Standard''′s Bruce Dessau called ''La Soirée'' "a sexy, slapstick, eye-poppingly scary spectacular."][ Brian Logan of ''The Guardian'' again rewarded ''La Soirée'' with a four-star review, claiming that "as it returns for Christmas with a handful of new acts, there is no diminishing in the quality of the show that provided such a sassy, delinquent thrill on the South Bank last year" and that "the gasp factor is as lungbustingly high as ever."][ In comparing The Roundhouse season to the previous one at the South Bank, Chortle's Steve Bennett wrote that "the variety line-up offers a well-judged mix of old favourites and new delights, all remaining true to the burlesque ethos and so ensuring another decadently stylish and daringly entertaining night out."][
Following its press night at the ]Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
on 6 January 2012, ''La Soirée'' opened to rave reviews from the Australian press, receiving four-and-a-half star reviews from ''The Sunday Telegraph
''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings.
It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', kn ...
'' (Australia),[Litson, Jo (22 January 2012)]
"Review: La Soirée"
''The Sunday Telegraph''. and four-star reviews from ''Time Out'' (Sydney) and ''The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
''.[(14 January 2012)]
"Leap from Clique to Soirée clicks"
''The Sydney Morning Herald''. Positive reviews were also received from ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' (Australia)[Matheson, Melissa (13 January 2012)]
"Ringing up a winner"
''The Daily Telegraph''. and Australian media site Crikey
Crikey is an Australian electronic magazine comprising a website and email newsletter available to subscribers. Crikey was described by the former Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham as the "most popular website in Parliament House" in ''The ...
.[Bradford Syke, Lloyd (17 January 2012)]
"REVIEW: La Soirée , The Studio, Sydney"
''Crikey''.
For Australia's ''Daily Telegraph'' Melissa Matheson described ''La Soirée'' as "circus like you’ve never seen before. It’s cheeky, it’s clever, and it’s damn sexy."[ Jo Litson from ''The Sunday Telegraph'' (Australia) called ''La Soirée'' "a rejuvenating dose of delirous escapism and the most fun-filled show in town".][ ''The Sydney Morning Herald''’s review noted that "La Soirée’s cast shines, treating showmanship and an earthy connection with the audience with as much importance as the acrobatic, comedy and variety skills."][ In his review for Crikey, Lloyd Bradford Syke concluded: “La Soirée is all about ]joie de vivre
( , ; "joy of living") is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life, an exultation of spirit.
It "can be a joy of conversation, joy of eating, joy of anything one might do… And ''joie de vivre'' may be ...
. You’ll know you’re alive, for a couple of hours, at least."[
]
Awards and nominations
Burlesque and cabaret scenes
La Soirée has often been cited as an example of the recent mainstream popularity of the burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. and cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
genres, particularly in London. Mark Shenton wrote in ''The Stage'' that "burlesque has undergone something of a resurgence in the last few years, and La Clique/La Soirée have been a pioneering exponent of packaging it as something hip, accessible and intensely theatrical." In ''The Sunday Times'', Stephen Armstrong writes: "Burlesque is striding into the mainstream, heels high, arms akimbo and nipple-tasselled chest thrust firmly forward. Although new burlesque
Neo-Burlesque, or New Burlesque, is the revival and updating of the traditional American burlesque performance. Though based on the traditional burlesque art, the new form encompasses a wider range of performance styles; neo-burlesque acts can ra ...
started in America, it has been embraced with more fervour over here. La Soirée, for instance, brings together contortionists, male pole dancers, acrobats and comedy." In ''ES Magazine'', Richard Godwin concurred: "Burlesque is booming. In 2008, the alternative variety show ''La Clique'', which featured Ursula Martinez's subversive, pyrotechnic striptease among endearingly eccentric circus acts, won a Laurence Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
and ran for nine months at the Hippodrome, London
The Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survi ...
before smashing box-office records at The Roundhouse. The follow-up, La Soirée, is doing a roaring trade on the South Bank, where the run has been extended."
In a special issue dedicated to the flourishing London cabaret scene, ''Time Out''′s Ben Walters says, "Thanks to La Clique and La Soirée, the Cabaret scene in London has never been bigger...West End crowds flock to grand-scale shows like the Olivier Award-winning La Clique and La Soirée."[Walters, Ben (18 January 2011)]
"How cabaret seduced London"
. ''Time Out''. In the same issue, in listing La Soirée as a top burlesque pick and critics' cabaret choice, ''Time Out'' stated: "West End hit La Clique put cabaret performance on the mainstream map, and La Soirée is making sure the party continues."[ In her article for ''The Independent'', Holly Williams writes: "the Edinburgh festival has, for the first time, a dedicated cabaret listings section – which is apt, given it was a fringe export, the spectacular La Clique, that spearheaded cabaret's renaissance."][Williams, Holly (26 June 2011)]
''The Independent''.
In November 2011, ''La Soirée'' was nominated in the first annual London Cabaret Awards, which celebrate the growing cabaret scene in London. ''La Soirée'' won in the category of Best One-Off Show.[
]
References
External links
Official ''La Soirée'' website
Official ''La Soirée'' Facebook Fan Page
Official ''La Soirée'' Twitter page
Official ''La Soirée'' YouTube channel
Official ''La Soirée'' Instagram account
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soiree, la
Cabaret
Burlesque