Cabaret Review: Little Death Club At Underbelly Festival
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Last Updated 19 June 2019
An unsuspecting critic squirms in his seat as the infamously vicious Myra DuBois towers over him, hungry for blood. “Wearing flip-flops to the theatre? I should review you!” she snarls. Welcome to the Little Death Club, where Weimar decadence meets jubilant sexuality, and a troupe of bombastic bohemians stick a defiant, collective finger up at the pearl-clutching ignorance and bigotry of the present day.
The mistress of ceremonies is cabaret veteran Bernie Dieter; a tall, dark drink of spikes, sequins and feathers, armed with a riotous repertoire of original songs, covering everything from cunnilingus to alcoholism. And if you’ve ever sent Bernie any phallic photography, you’re about to sorely regret it.
She keeps the show high and tight between star turns from the aforementioned DuBois, hair-hanging pocket-rocket Fancy Chance, fire-breathing powerhouse Kitty Bang Bang, and melancholy mime Josh Glanc. Captivating contortionist Beau Sargent is a show-stealer who, together with Dieter, delivers a masterpiece of storytelling and artistry that tugs at the heart - and the tear ducts.
At a time when gifted artists like these are being scourged from social media for refusing to censor their flesh or their freedoms, a subversive, celebratory romp like Little Death is a life-affirming hour of ribald revolution. Let the freak flag fly!
Little Death Club, Underbelly Festival, 30 The Queen's Walk, SE1 8XX. Tickets £21.50-£26.50, until 23 June 2019.
