Welcome To Winter's Hottest Show: La Clique At Leicester Square Spiegeltent

A man, replete with an eight-pack stomach and a can of shaving foam, wanders to the front of the stage. He sprays some foam into one hand, spreads it across his face and over his body before jumping onto a member of the audience. Oh, did we mention he was naked?

With a bellow of “sinners, boozers and fornicators: welcome to La Clique!” from ex-East End Cabaret MC Bernie Dieter, we’re thrown head-first into this cavalcade of circus and cabaret. This adults-only extravaganza is a sibling of sorts to the sexier La Soirée and, like that show, contains bucketfuls of eye-popping pizzazz.

There are world-class acts aplenty here.  As well as the aforementioned David Pereira, there’s gentleman juggler Florian Brooks who casually throws around champagne flutes, a tray and lemons, all while a bottle is balanced upside down on his head. Heather Holliday (previously seen in Limbo) swallows multiple swords and a “light sabre” before returning to blast fire from her petite frame into the rafters. Backed by a live band, Kelly Wolfgramm’s blistering vocals provide a scintillating backdrop to the acts as well as covering songs ranging from funky power pop to a rip-roaring take on Kirsty MacColl’s There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis.

There’s a relentless pace to La Clique and this frequently transgressive show seems frustratingly short even with its near-two-hour running time. Those stepping into the Spiegeltent’s intimate setting should know that money only buys a kinky form of happiness here: those in the posh seats will have to balance the merits of a good view with the potential to be verbally or physically assailed by performers whose only boundaries are their imagination and health and safety regulations.

La Clique, Leicester Square Spiegeltent. Tickets from £21, until 4 January 2020