'Sabrage' review — booze, bubbles and bacchanalia at this seductive new circus cabaret show

Read our review of Sabrage, which refers to the decadent practice of opening champagne with a sword, now in performances at Lafayette to 6 July.

Sabrage, the new burlesque (emphasis on the 'esque') offering at the Lafayette music venue in King's Cross, promises a hedonistic celebration of booze, bubbles and bacchanalia.

So, let's start with the positives. The venue, known for hosting performances by the likes of Mumford & Sons and Charli xcx, has some stylish interiors, particularly in the 'VIP' Nola's bar, that evoke the kind of Parisian glamour the show's title references. The auditorium itself is arranged in an intimate, cabaret arrangement. If you're looking for some decent cocktails and all-round 'good night out' vibes, you could certainly do a lot worse. But if you're here in search of innovation on the performance front, you might come away disappointed.

It opens with a mimed sabrage (a French word referring to the practice of opening champagne with a sword), and continues in the same vein. From a surplus of lip-synced song snippets to our host, Remi Martin, pretending to make rhythms with his privates (whilst beatboxing, may I add), it feels rather phony, a pretender rather than the real deal. Art imitating art.

There are bright spots, notably the impressive juggling skills of Emma Phillips, who spins parasols and tables on her feet, and a game comic turn from Martin’s sidekick Spencer Novich, who performs an entertaining physical medley referencing everything from Wicked to Trump. Scott Maidment's high-octane production certainly doesn't want for energy. It's just a shame it seems to be powering something so ultimately meaningless.

The 'towel dance' that opens the second act says much about the evening as a whole. It sees the company, which also includes aerial duo Flynn Miller and Kimberley Bargenquast, torch singer Rechelle, roller skater Christian Nimri, and dancers Skye Ladell and Christian Nimri, cavort around with just a bath towel for coverage. Rather than titillating it all just feels a little tawdry.

Rechelle does at least sing live, and sings well. Mill and Bargenquast’s routine – essentially simulated mid-air love-making – is decent enough, and Nimri’s rollerskating, though no match for La Clique, at least provides some genuine variety.

However, the continual celebration of drunkenness that seems to be the show’s theme quickly grows tiresome. At one point Martin and Novich spend a good ten minutes throwing grapes at each other (credit to a fellow critic who caught one in his mouth), which is little more than an over-extended party trick. The less said about the first-act ‘pillow fight' the better, ditto the moment an unsuspecting audience member gets invited on stage to mimic masturbation to the Can-Can.

It all adds up to essentially little more than a strip show, albeit one with more premium costumes. It's a pity to see these clearly talented performers – as well as the good name of the Menier Chocolate Factory – associated with something that could and should be so much more. No doubt there are plenty who will revel in it all (including most of the rowdy first night audience), and bracket it as harmless fun. But far from emulating the fizzy stuff it celebrates, it left me feeling decidedly flat.

Sabrage is at Lafayette to 6 July. Book Sabrage tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Photo credit: Sabrage (Photos by Matt Crockett)