Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Tues 15 Nov
words: ANGHARAD BROWN
★★★★☆
Circus and cabarets are two of my favourite things, so when Cwtch Cabaret was announced we started to get very excited in the Buzz office. The Cardiff date was located in the 250-capacity theatre, the Weston Studio within the Wales Millennium Centre, and it wasn’t far off a sell-out with an eclectic mix of audience members.
Opening with Life Is A Cabaret were comperes for the evening, Chris Lynam and Kate McKenzie: a small man in a large suit and a ring mistress of sorts in an evening dress. They immediately set the tone for the evening with a level of cheekiness and a hint of the unusual. Between each act Lynam came back onstage to entertain via singing, poetry, impressions and accidentally knocking drinks out of audience members’ hands; it was McKenzie’s role to keep him in check and usher him off stage before he caused offence. This was done very well, although at times the interludes went on for slightly too long and let momentum between the acts slip.
Kicking the show off were Bella Kinetica who performed several impressive tricks on roller skates, although I was far more impressed by their performance in the second half which involved doubles trapeze. Tiina Tuomista was another hit, with her first half performance having the audience too afraid to applaud in case she slipped whilst balancing her body single-handedly on hand stand sticks. She returned later to unleash some seriously impressive tricks with hula hoops, including spinning them on around her ankle. The sort of tricks you secretly wish you could crack out during a party.
Oliver Meech’s acts sparked a sense of life back into the show and his likeable personality and magic with a sense of humour worked well within such a small audience, especially with the audience interaction and involvement that his acts required.
All the performers were entertaining, but Duo Majestic undoubtedly stole the show with their incredibly intense – bordering on homoerotic – example of pure physical strength and skill. And as an added bonus, their incredible bodies seemed to thoroughly entertain the row of 19 year olds in front of us. I was, of course, too busy watching their act to notice.
Catch Cwtch Cabaret at the following dates:
Thurs 17 Nov Theatr Hafren
Friday 18 Nov Pontardawe Arts
Sat 19 Nov Wyeside Arts Centre
Sun 20 Nov Aberystwyth Arts Centre
www.cwtchcabaret.co.uk