As I write there’s thunder and lightning outside my window so it seems strange to be thinking about Summer Theatre however I’m very intrigued by the main show that’s just been announced for the Southbank’s eccentric LONDON WONDERGROUND on the South Bank by the London eye. A fun space where you can drink and party alongside watching lively new cabaret based productions in elaborately tented venues.
THE RAUNCH which opens on May 5th is described as “An Electric Wild West circus, cabaret” and “A modern day sexy, spectacular, melding state of the art technology with whip-cracking energy and featuring a rogues gallery of the most wanted bad-asses this side of Dodge City”
It’s been created by digital circus company Zero Central and stars the cabaret performer Empress Stah as The Bad Sherriff who, we’re promised, performs a “trigger-happy aerial act featuring a laser shooting forth from where the sun don’t shine to the strains of Light in Places - a song especially composed for the act by Peaches”
Stah will be joined by Alternative Miss World, Fancy Chance, as a character called The Condemned; hip-hop, rapping-tapping dancing twins My Bad Sister as The Bar Room Beauties; international sword-swallowing femme-fatale Jewels Good as The Madame of the Saloon; albino ivory-tinkler Stephen Thompson as the Ghost Rider; daring circus superstar Jo Moss as The Cockfighter; and the indescribably irreverent Mr Teds as The Unwanted.
The promoters consider this to be “a next generation circus cabaret extravaganza for the all the senses where loose narrative weaves together a series of individual and ensemble acts featuring skills drawn from the worlds of Circus, Magic, Drag, Song & Dance to create a contemporary Western fable set the beat of a disco-hoedown, psychedelic soundtrack”.
Original performances are designed using projections, lasers, drones and imagination. Motion tracking sensors are employed to create real time, interactive and immersive graphics that can be projected onto any object using projection-mapping techniques.
Apparently Empress Stah is an internationally renowned Aerial Circus Artist, Cabaret Theatre Performer, Show Director and Producer, with an ongoing project to make a performance in outer space.
During her 16 year career, Empress Stah has graced stages worldwide, including but not limited to, London, New York, Tokyo, Moscow, Rio, Montreal, Chicago, Sydney, and Tel Aviv, whilst sharing the bill with big names including Cirque Du Soleil and Dita Von Teese. Private Clients include Damien Hirst, Harvey Nichols, Smirnoff, Cosmopolitan Magazine and Philippe Starck.
This should be one of the most talked about events of London Theatre’s summer.
A fascinating new play has been announced for the Arts Theatre this June and July.