LA SOIRÉE Garden of Unearthly Delights Until 18 Mar 2012 Review by Jamie Wright A tiny, circular stage in the centre of the delightful Spiegeltent plays host to a dazzling array of cabaret, burlesque and vaudeville performers in a spectacular two-hour event. The troupe includes the delightful, lycra-clad, teddy bear Le Gateau Chocolat, with his to-die-for baritone and matching charm; stiff upper-lipped, pinstripe-suited, gravity-defying strongmen/acrobats The English Gents; the seemingly boneless, cringe-inducing rubberman Captain Frodo; Susannah Martinez and her disappearing/reappearing handkerchief striptease; hilarious lothario, master juggler and Queen aficionado, Mario; comedienne and wannabe ‘serious actress’ Mooky; hula-hoop genius Yulia Pykhtina; and shirtless bathtub acrobat David O’Mer. It’s non-stop action the whole way through – save for a brief interval that you’re actually glad for, since it means a respite from either a saw jaw from gaping at the wonder, a stiff neck from the cringing, or split sides from laughing. Many of the performers appear more than once, and a substantial aspect of the enjoyment of the show comes from not knowing exactly what will come next – or, if one act does reappear, wondering just how much their next number will outdo the one that came before it. No-one is safe; if you’re in the audience there’s a chance you’ll be leapt upon by Le Gateau, struck by discarded clothing from Susannah Martinez, cast as Romeo against Mookie’s Juliet, asked to aid Mario in one of his stunts, or splashed and sprayed repeatedly as David O’Mer empties his bathtub through repeated immersions – the first few rows, as they say, will get wet. It’s joyous event; a stunning succession of silly, sexy and stupefying performances – though it’s probably important to note it does feature many performers who’ve appeared as part of the recurring “La Clique” over the years. Still, the fact that this is hardly a secret – and that the shows this Fringe are already sold out – indicates that it’s the sort of thing one can see over and over again. Oh, and while it may be listed on the Fringe page as being PG, it’s most definitely aimed at an adult audience… Rating: 5 stars (out of five)