As London gets ready to wind down for the Edinburgh exodus, the best cabaret acts are pulling out the stops in terms of previews and large scale events this week so with zip, zero and zilch further ado here are our zingers of the week.
Zinger Of The Week: The Boom Boom Club @ The Old Vic Tunnels (Thu/Fri/Sat)
It wasn't even close. The coolest underground venue in London hosts the Boom Boom Club for three nights this week with a top-notch bill that has something for everyone. In conjunction with Time Out Live, they have assembled a cabaret crew including croonmeister Frank Sanazi, character comedienne Sarah-Louise Young, La Soiree's Mooky Cornish, the duke of uke Des O'Connor, hand dancers extraordinaire and BGT darlings Up n Over It and fusion bellydancer Leah Debrincat.
We understand Friday and Saturday tickets are already sold out but the organisers have released an extra batch of post-10pm "Boom Boom Late" tickets for entry to their nocturnal dream world featuring installation and promenade performance from performers including Kitty Bang Bang, Bear Gateaux and Vicky Butterfly, as well as music from DJs Nick Hollywood and Hits Don't Hurt for drinking and dancing until 3am. For more information, see here.
Monday's Zingers: The Tiger Lilies need no introduction (ok, maybe just one). Fans of these cabaret veterans should pitch up outside the Soho Theatre from tonight.
At Hampstead's New End Theatre, the ex-mortuary is turned into a music hall for its season of Vaudevillian nights.
Tuesday's Zinger: If this week you only have time for one hilariously surly and very talented magician in a children's party costume, make it Piff The Magic Dragon at the King's Head, m'kay? Also playing Wednesday and Thursday.
Wednesday's Zinger: Another Edinburgh preview, this time it’s perma-smiling Aussie veteran Bob Downe with his new show 20 Golden Greats (£10) at the RVT. This time around, he has a simple formula: he throws out pop trivia questions and whoever gets the right answer walks away with a prize. Sounds fun to us. Let’s hope it’s, um, fourteenth time lucky for Bob in Edinburgh.
Who needs friends to have a slumber party when you can just go to The Barbican’s Lullaby (£42)? Brought to you by the team behind the RVT institution Duckie, you can choose to choose to nod off alone, with someone else or have your own menage a trois. And, why not?
Thursday's Zingers: The Pale Blue Door (£35) is back for the summer than happy to provide cabaret entertainment alongside a 4-course meal including beetroot, basil, beef and (half a) bottle of wine, all at a secret location in deepest, darkest HipstervilleDalston.
While most of cabaretdom is (seemingly) down the Old Vic Tunnels tonight at our Zinger Of The Week, two of the best of the rest can be found at Madame Jojo's as the black beast that is Bete Noire welcomes Ophelia Bitz and Audacity Chutzpah. Online tickets are already sold out but there should be some standing tickets at the door if you ask nicely.
Friday's Zingers: La Reve continues to put out brilliant bills week after week with this Friday's show featuring (amongst others) Dusty Limits, Frisky & Mannish, Piff the Magic Dragon and Laurie Hagen. You will not be disappointed.
Get some free burlesque and singing downstairs at Zero Aldwych as CellarDoor hosts the very funny chanteuse Vicious Delicious and the sassy Cha Cha L'Amour.
Saturday's Zingers: Eat Your Heart Out will be previewing their Edinburgh show at the Apothecary featuring anti-cabaret terrorist Scottee, northern star Myra Dubois and the Morgan Spurlock of alcohol, Bryony Kimmings.
The musical and creative genius that is Sarah-Louise Young takes her latest batch of Cabaret Whores to SW18's Tara Studios.
Sunday's Zingers: Old school American juggling troupe, The Flying Karamazov Brothers don’t fly, are definitely not Russian and they’re not brothers but they are at the Vaudeville Theatre until September 10 (£29.50-£39.50). We liked.
Other recommended upcoming musical comedy Edinburgh previews include Abi Roberts at the Leicester Square Theatre (Tuesday), Tricity Vogue at the RVT (27 July) and Gordon Cotton at the Loom Bar (10 August).
This week's video comes from Piff The Magic Dragon as he dazzles Vegas veterans Penn & Teller. He's appearing Tuesday to Friday around London and we highly suggest catching him in person ay-sap.
