London Cabaret Zingers 25-31 January

Franco Milazzo
By Franco Milazzo Last edited 146 months ago
London Cabaret Zingers 25-31 January

With cabaret now promising more chuckles than ever before, it's time to blow those blues away with some of this week's Zingers.

Zinger Of The Week: La Soiree @ The Roundhouse

Find space in your calendar for this show for verily, La Soiree will blow your socks and the rest of your laundry basket off. With its ten-week residency coming to an end this Sunday, this is your last chance for a while to see a fabulous circus show which is packed with the weird, the wonderful and everything in between including hunky acrobats The English Gents (right), sizzling skaters, crazy contortionists and dazzling hoop-queens.

We previewed it last year and, guess what, it’s still amazing. Go.

Wednesday's Zingers

Northern star Myra Dubois will be singing it loud and proud tonight at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Her new show - Sing Out Louise! - is her homage to musical theatre with running criticism from the front row courtesy of the Radio Jiblets.

After 18 months, kinky commie crooners EastEnd Cabaret's Cellardoor residency comes to an end tonight as they prepare for their next adventures. They'll be back later this year but this may be your last chance to see them at the venue that has suited them right down to the (under)ground. Oh, it's all at a very round price. How socialist.

The London International Mime Festival (LIMF) continues with a strange and philosophical cocktail at the Southbank as Italian magician and acrobat Claudio Stellato shakes together circus and illusory magic to examine object manipulation and our inner selves in his new show L’Autre.

Thursday's Zingers

Following hot on the heels of the relaunch of La Reve, the mighty black beast of Soho that is Madame Jojo's Bete Noire tries a new format with a two-part show. Go early, go late: just go.

Watching bongo flicks in public and hearing from those in the sex industry has never been so much fun or edifying thanks to vintage pornmonger Ophelia Bitz and her ArtWank! shows. She wowed the Old Vic Tunnels last year and is only going from strength to strength. Catch her tonight at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

Over in the Queen Of The Suburbs, you can watch more than the time disappear at Conjuring at the Court, West Ealing’s long-running monthly magic night which this month welcomes Rob James, Mel Mellers, WAVE and the superbly named Miss Ballooniverse.

Aussie artist Fleur Elise Noble’s new work 2 Dimensional Life Of Her is part of LIMF and literally off the wall. Projections and animations combine to alter the audience’s perceptions as they stand in the artist’s studio. Wowsers.

Friday's Zingers

A prophecy of the near-future of Die Freche Muse for Thatcher's children? Oh What a Lovely Recession! at Clapham's The Peacock is a free evening with burlesque, singing and choons from the 80s and 90s. Rave on.

Self-proclaimed "musical genius"  and world-record holding pianist-turned-rapper-turned-pianist-turned-rapper Chilly Gonzales is at the Soho Theatre tonight. His brother wrote the music for the Buffy The Vampire TV series, don't you know.

The Sugar Beast Circus is back in town as part of LIMF with a new show at Jackson's Lane called Event Dimension.

Saturday's Zingers

A mere few weeks after their last show of 2011, the never-less-than-awesomely attired duo Bourgeois & Maurice return to Bistrotheque with a new all-killer no-filler show Twatting About which compiles the best costumes and songs of the last four years.

If it's a cabaret showcase you're after, head over to the Cafe de Paris' Wam Bam Club to see (amongst others) filthy Filipina Ria Lina, burlesquer Ruby Deshabille, acrobat Jonathan Finch and ballerino Madame Galina.

With dwarf names like Fag Hag, Muscle Mary, Sub, Dom, Skinhead and Butch Dyke, you should have some idea of what you’re letting yourself in for as Snow White & The Seven Poofs appear at the Leicester Square Theatre.

Sunday's Zingers

What used to be the trailblazing Hackney Empire's New Act Of The Year awards evening is now Stratford Circus' New Act Of The Year awards evening with candidates this year including Myra Dubois and the Fabulous Russella.

A pair of female impersonators are in town: tonight, Matthew, Barb Jungr will be singing Bob Dylan in Soho's Pizza Express Jazz Club while Susan Black will be non-regretfully going all French sparrer as she blasts out Edith Piaf covers at the Leicester Square Theatre.

Monday's Zingers

Bearded beauty Timberlina will be publicly manhandling some smooth balls. This is, of course, all in the line of duty as he continues his weekly run of Big Bingo Night! at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

The musical theatre quartet of cuties known as  The Ruby Dolls return to the Riverside Studios with Rubies In The Attic. As we said in our review: " If you’re after entertainment with beats, beauty and Brecht, then it’s Ruby Dolls über alles."

Tuesday's Zinger

If it's a night of all-out tassel-twirling fun you're after, head east for The Brickhouse and Seattle's Sinner Saint Burlesque.  Our review is over here.

The World Burlesque Games may not be here for a few months yet but, to prove that it won't all be tassels and corsets, here's a snippet of one of the more eclectic and electric entrants. Big Chief Random Chaos hails from across the Atlantic Ocean, lives across the Irish Sea and will be competing for the Twisted Crown at Madame Jojo's on 9 May.

Last Updated 25 January 2012