La Soiree @ The Roundhouse – A Review

Building on last year’s success at the pop-up theatre behind the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank, the bawdy La Soiree cabaret/circus experience has returned to Camden’s Roundhouse for a limited run until 29 January 2012.

The Roundhouse is the perfect venue for the show’s current stint as performances take place on a small circular stage right at the centre of the main space, under a canopy of twinkling bulbs evoking the roof of a circus tent. The closest members of the audience are only a foot or two away from the action on all sides and people occupying front-row seats stand a good chance of getting even closer, as there are several audience participation pieces during the show.

Drawing on a rotating cast list of jugglers, gymnasts, acrobats, singers and comedians there’s something for everyone at one of La Soiree’s performances. Even your grandmother would enjoy it if she appreciates a little bit of sauce – despite its reputation, the raunchiest that La Soiree gets is a few of the male performers taking their shirts off to reveal perfect physiques or the occasional risqué joke from the hilarious ‘Mario, Queen of the Circus’, a raunchy, leather-clad Queen fan and accomplished unicyclist…

New for this year are odd couple Chris and Iris – 6’5” strongman Chris effortlessly spins, throws and balances his diminutive partner with less visible exertion than removing a slightly stubborn lid from a jam jar – breathtaking, and clearly a real audience pleaser as the whole place was a storm of clapping and roars of approval at the end of their piece. Then there’s the hilarious slapstick of the incredible Nate Cooper, who exhibits most of the other artists’ combined talents in one short segment that involves roller-skating, juggling and cross-dressing – not necessarily in that order! Throw in the talents of old circus hands The Skating Willers, who make their frankly dangerously stage routine look absolutely effortless, and La Soiree is onto a real winner here.

Prices for seats at the back of the venue (which are fine – the Roundhouse’s shape means that even those in the circle aren’t that far from the action) are £25, going up to £60-£65 if you want to sit in the cabaret-style ‘posh’ area which has little booths and waiter service. For people who want to get in on the act, the £40-£45 ‘ringside’ seats are probably the best option, but sit in the front row at your own risk!