Review: Bourgeois & Maurice - Fa La La La La @ Soho Theatre

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 156 months ago

Last Updated 23 December 2011

Review: Bourgeois & Maurice - Fa La La La La @ Soho Theatre

If you had a look at Bourgeois and Maurice's remake of that department store telly ad then you'll have an inkling that their festive show isn't of the traditional sort.

But if you agree that Christmas is a time for reflecting on the year past, then it's all here in song: phone hacking, privacy, paedos, immigration, the economic crisis, climate change, parenting, tuition fees and tax.

There's even a lament to 2011's obsession with all things vintage, a David Icke revival and a devastating examination of a generation's inability to love.

B&M are quite simply brilliant songwriters with huge hearts lurking behind their hilariously shallow shtick. This is their second outing with a band and it really suits them. Two brand new songs inspired by climate change and phone hacking are excellent, funked-up and festivised favourites like CHAOS, Retro, Ritalin and the super sexy single, Tax Me, are as funny as the first time we heard them and our hangover is haunted by a pair of quite different lovesongs — We Want Love and Forget You.

Regrettably, there's no Out-Outfit You but, with a little help from Julian J Smith, they do it without song. Forget shoulder pads, Maurice Maurice pioneers shoulder peaks this Christmas and no one rocks a skin tight, emerald green, glitter cat suit like Georgeois Bourgeois.

Bowing to one Christmas tradition only, in the manner of all seasonal TV specials, it does start to snow at one point, but watch out.

Bourgeois & Maurice Fa La La La La is at Soho Theatre until 7 January (tickets £15). They're even doing special New Year's Eve shows, one at 7.30pm (tickets £20) and a late show starting at 9.45pm with the bar staying open till 2am (tickets £25).