Cabaret and burlesque doesn’t get more entertaining than it does with Blanc de Blanc Encore. A talented cast and an eye-popping production treat audiences to a rollicking two hours of music, comedy, dance and incredible acrobatics, all under the glorious big top of Melbourne’s hippest new venue, Spiegel Haus.
Located on Lonsdale Street on the site of a former parking lot, the Spiegel Haus venue arrives just in time for summer. Now home to a 400+ seat theatre and rooftop bar, it is sure to quickly be a new favourite destination for lovers of culture over the warmer months.
Blanc de Blanc Encore is an ideal show to stage at the venue, which has wowed audiences all over the world and is an intoxicating circus-themed cabaret, performed by a wonderful international ensemble cast and MC’d by the charismatic duo of Emile Mathieu and Felix Pouliot, a pair of hilarious Canadian performers who provide most of the comedy of the evening and keep the laughs and thrills coming at a rapid rate.
The show is a tad more risque than your standard cabaret, hence the adults only rating advice on the show’s advertising, but there’s a playfulness and almost sweet innocence to the skits that involve nudity, with it being implied more than anything else most of the time. Taking a leaf out of the Austin Powers movies, there’s a lot of almost-nudity and cheeky near-misses and you’re left with the feeling you perhaps saw more than you actually did, but it’s all in good fun and only a small segment of the show.
The cast of seven performers, including three local talents, all share the spotlight in a lightning-fast collection of dance numbers, lip-synch singalongs and even a memorable contortionist routine, which is an undeniably unforgettable moment performed by talented Ukrainian performer Mykhailo Makarov, who can do things with his body that you wouldn’t think are possible, and his insane contortionist abilities are not for the faint hearted.
The biggest strength of Blanc de Blanc Encore is the sheer variety of its bag of tricks. Watching this show you never know quite what to expect next—one minute, a linen sheet is being draped over the audience, and the next, a massive all-in pillow fight breaks out with soft pillows flying everywhere and everyone is covered in feathers.
The dedication to spectacle and really immersing the audience in the thrill of the performance is really the best thing about Blanc de Blanc Encore, and every audience member will feel like they are part of the action, rather than a passive observer. The cast cannily use the entire venue as their playground and the show often breaks the confines of the stage and spills out into the audience itself.
If you’re adverse to audience interaction or being chosen to come up on stage and be part of the show, I recommend not sitting in the first two rows. But then again, nobody is safe as the performers roam all through the venue to find audience helpers. But it’s all in good fun and never mean spirited, and the audience members chosen to help out on opening night were such great sports and their enthusiasm really added to the overall hilarity and enjoyment.
The music is a captivating mix of recent pop hits and more traditional cabaret, opera and classical tunes, an eclectic but memorable musical collage that works brilliantly to compliment the on-stage antics.
It would be unfair to spoil every element of the show as part of the fun is going in relatively unsure of what you’re in for, but safe to say this is one of the most purely enjoyable shows I’ve seen in a long time.
The cast in incredible, from the sultry tones of resident songstress, Clara Fable, to the astounding dance moves and endless energy of Melanie Hawkins and Danielle Summers, there is not a moment when your senses are not being wowed or delighted by something that is happening on (or above, behind or in front of) the stage.
A perfect show in a dynamic new venue, Blanc de Blanc Encore is a must for any fans of classic burlesque who like a night out that is a bit naughty, playful and quite simply two hours of pure joy wrapped in a glamorous, glossy and sequin-sparkled package that you’ll definitely want to see more than once.
Playing at Spiegel Haus Melbourne until November 30.
Tickets and more information via spiegelhausmelb.com.
5/5 STARS
TINSEL and TAP SHOES 