21 December 2003
C'est Barbican
Stephen Armstrong: Sunday TimesCabaret is often attempted, rarely successfully. There seems to be a permanent desire for evenings out of that mix alcohol and entertainment, but somehow, the only form that survives is table dancing. In a sense, the Barbican's seasonal floor show, C'est Duckie - resident at the Vauxhall Tavern, the london gay club - satisfies the principle of both. Table dancing and cabaret, that is. The premise is simple: each table is issued with Duckie dollars, from which you purchase table-top performances from the boys and girls of the troupe, as well as guest entertainers. High-kicking dance numbers crop up now and then, and the whole thing is washed down with champagne. Highly recommended, but effectively indescribable, are Miss High Kick Does Seven Cocks, Stilettos of Death, The Wicked Witch of the West Does Robert De Niro in Spanish and James Joyce's Ulysses. It's good, mucky, grown-up fun. In these Pop Idol times, Duckie are exactly what we need - just sleazy enough, just silly enough and just gorgeous enough to satisfy a gaping hole in our culture that is not going to be filled by Busted. You will leave with a smile plastered all over your face. SA |
