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THEATRE REVIEW 2024

LA CLIQUE

In 2024, La Clique celebrates 20 years since the show debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe. There have been many shows that blend circus and cabaret, but none hold a torch to the creative passion that is La Clique. Audiences aren’t just there for a show; they’re there to be part of a creative evening that’s centred on this important role La Clique has in being a platform for artists.

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The Spiegeltent is like a Tardis and seems even bigger once the performance begins. There is genuinely something special about walking into the Spiegeltent through Leicester Square’s Christmas market. Once inside, the smell of the aged wood and the sounds of feet shuffling through the bar and into the theatre space silence everything around you. Closing your eyes, one’s no longer in Central London; it feels like you’ve been transported to the outskirts of town to a small clearing. It’s here you’re going to be entertained, but more than this, it’s here you will see an explosion of creative passion.

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Trying to explain to anyone what one does in the theatre can be a challenge. In all of the creative forms, acting and theatre, particularly, tend to be difficult career paths to explain to people. It becomes a punchline, the “good luck with that,” and people tend to not want to take the time to really appreciate the effort, training, passion, skill, dedication, and beauty of what performers bring to the stage. As Miranda Menzies opens the show, one sees firsthand all of these attributes as she walks onto the stage, with grace and purpose, and takes position. There’s a gentleness to Menzies' performance, one that manifests her strength as an artist and signals to any doubters that this is her creative calling.​

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This strong opening is followed by Bayley Graham’s youthful exuberance, which is paired beautifully by his undeniable ability as a tap dancer. It’s not just an energy that he brings to his routine but this abundance of joy that’s totally captivating. Your smile is matched by his even bigger smile, and you feel this deep appreciation he has for the art form that’s taken him around the world. Tap dancing might not get the same level of attention that other forms of dance have gained over the years, and in my opinion, tap should be in the Summer Olympics over break. Dance in all its forms offers something magical for audiences—imagine the classic Hollywood black-and-whites with Fred & Ginger or the legendary Nicholas Brothers and Gregory Hines. What Graham is doing with appearances on shows like AGT and becoming the first winner of TVNZ's ‘60 Seconds’. is reopening the public's appetite for tap. Moreover, he’s helping to inspire a new generation to take up one of the most exciting dance genres there is. 

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A La Clique show becomes a performance playlist with artists coming on and off in 3-5 minute intervals. Some of the artists, like Cornelius Atkinson and Katherine Arnold, offer a vulnerability with an undeniable ability to impress their audience. These performers make the Spiegeltent feel like a big top, and as Atkinson lifts himself up into the trapeze, the music and lighting provide an interesting pulse. You watch on in awe, with some envy, at this physical narrative unfolding before you. Dressed in black, Atkinson gives off this goth vibe that could be real or could be a character, but as he starts to get into his performance, he builds a connection with his audience. This is matched later on by aerialist Arnold (performing until Nov. 24). Arnold doesn’t just offer skill and grace but provides an emotional beauty in both her performances that is electric.

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The humour is threaded throughout the night by Florian Brooks, Danik Abishev, and Asher Treleaven, three performers that are distinct comedic turns that create a fine balance between the emotionally rich performances of Atkinson, Menzies, Graham, and Arnold. The magic of a performer, for me, is making you enjoy seeing their act more than once, and with this being the second time seeing Brooks (and Bubbles the goldfish), I remained intrigued. As dapper as always in his three-piece suit, Brooks shows how you can captivate your audience with one of the oldest circus tricks through his warmth and charm. Abishev’s had the energy of an Energiser Bunny on full charge and also managed to highlight the dangers the performers face on stage. Early on in Abishev’s set, the legs on the ladder gave way, bringing Abishev to the floor. Completely unperturbed by this, Abishev got back up and continued with his performance. It was a small dose of the reality of these dangers they can encounter and equally breathtaking to see an artist get back up and continue to entice his audience.

 

One of the standouts of the night was Treleaven and his ‘sexy’ diabolo. This was a masterclass in working a crowd, staying in character, and doing something that was completely out of the box. Treleaven managed to outdo his diabolo playing with a reading from a vintage erotic novel. His delivery and timing were impeccable. After all the fantastical performances, to have this little moment to pause and to have someone read was perfection.