» The Parlure Spiegeltent at Brighton Festival Fringe
Captivating cabaret at The Parlure Spiegeltent on Brighton’s Old Steine
Interstella Circus Show
With Festival and Fringe time almost upon us, the excitement is gathering. This year The Parlure Spiegeltent will move to the Old Steine, and the outfit are very much looking forward to being the centrepiece of the Fringe. “St Peter’s was a great site, and made a lovely garden, but it will be great to be right at the heart of everything,” said Malcolm Haynes the company director. “We’re very excited about our programme this year; we have a real range of interests and prices to suit everyone. We’re even offering free lunchtime concerts so people can come and enjoy the venue.”
The jewel in the crown is the flagship cabaret show, The Aviator Club. It’s the venue’s own production, put together by project manager Jessica Magill after the success of their The Grand Finale show last year. It’s a fun premise whereby the audience board a 1940s airliner, captained by the fabulously acerbic compere Dusty Limits, and are taken on a journey around the cabaret world, with a live soundtrack by house band Top Shelf Jazz. “We have some amazing acts in the show,” says Jessica. “It mainly features music and dance with comedy, magic and some circus skills too. It’s vintage in style, but the acts and the humour will be right up to the minute.”
Speaking of circus skills, there will be plenty of these on offer from Monday 18 May, when The Interstella Circus Show starts its seven night run. Produced by Miss Merlin, who has put together umpteen cabaret shows for sister venue Pussy Parlure at European festivals, it will feature acts from across the globe as well as a few stars from renowned Bristol collective The Invisible Circus. Contortionism, Chinese pole, hula hooping, aerial, juggling, acro-balance, and even dancing zebras will be appearing in the ring, in a show which promises to hark back to the days of classic circus but with a modern cabaret twist. Of her cast and show, Merlin says, “A lifetime of circus, clubs and festivals warps the imagination – all good cabaret should have a little bit of a dark side I think.” There will also be a family-friendly version of the show with a nautical theme over the last Bank Holiday weekend.
Forget Me Not
A musical cabaret show of an entirely different nature is Forget Me Not, the tale of a flapper looking back at her life. From the intimacy of her dressing room, Forget Me Not regales us with tales and songs about her loves past. But far from being just melancholy, the character has a wicked sense of humour. Performed by ex-New Zealander turned Brighton resident Sharon Elizabeth, soprano and star of last year’s Fringe show I-Sing On The Cake, the show will be fresh from a tour down under to rave press reviews. Local composer Paul Lewis accompanies her on piano and has written some original songs for the show, which will be performed alongside classic numbers from the era. Dressing up 1920s style is encouraged for prizes.
So with such great shows on offer the message is clear – prizes or not, every one’s a winner.
The Aviator Club, 1–9 May, £14–18
The Interstella Circus Show, 18–24 May, £14–18
The Interstella Circus Family Show, 22–25 May, £11/9
Forget Me Not, 6, 8, 9 May, £7–12
Tickets and info 0844 8007114, www.theparlure.com
