Celebrate your inner sinner at the sexist circus in town
BY ROXY BOURDILLON
I’m sat in the world famous Spiegeltent in London’s Leicester Square, clutching my glass of mulled wine, and listening, rapt, to the seductive tones of the inimitable Bernie Dieter.
As mistress of ceremonies for internationally acclaimed variety show, La Clique, Bernie is exquisite. Oozing stage presence from every pore, she serves eleganza extravaganza in a bejewelled catsuit complete with feather shoulder pads and vertiginous heels. She is an outrageous sexpot, greeting us: “Sinners, boozers and fornicators, welcome to La Clique!” An equal opportunity saucepot, she flirts hilariously with male and female audience members alike. Within a few mere moments, I am totally team Bernie. She is filthy, fearless and fucking fabulous.
Once Bernie has expertly got us all revved up, it’s time for the variety acts to take to the stage and show off their unique talents. There are contortionists, singers, a super talented juggler, and more. Zoe Marshall and Lydia Normal perform sapphic-tinged aerial acrobatics. New Yorker Heather Holliday, clad in vintage lingerie I instantly covet, swallows swords and breathes fire as we collectively gasp and gawp. My eyes are popping, my jaw is dropping and I swear my heart is in my mouth.
This is a show that proudly embraces individuality. It’s exhilarating, outrageous and queer as hell. What a glorious way to spend a festive evening. Swept up in the heart-stopping, gut-busting emotion of it all, I can’t help but get a little teary when Bernie declares, “We’re told difference is something to be afraid of. But here at La Clique, we fucking celebrate it.”
La Clique is on at the Spiegeltent in London’s Leicester Square until 4 January 2020. For more info and tickets look here: christmasinleicestersquare.com/whats-on/la-clique
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