Flamboyant, flirty and fun, La Clique fuses circus, cabaret and theatre to create a visually stunning experience that perfectly captures the glitz and glam of Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
Unfolding across 75 minutes, La Clique’s risqué variety line-up includes a host of traditional and unconventional circus acts, jaw-dropping feats of skill and athleticism, and toe-tapping musical numbers. Each act is designed to excite and entice the audience and is beautifully performed by the seductive and talented cast.
Adelaide Festival Centre’s versatile Space Theatre has been transformed into a colosseum-inspired venue that allows audiences 180-degree views of a stage, which, at first glance seems underwhelmingly small for the larger-than-life premise of the show. This is, however a deliberate choice by the show’s producers, as the small stage acts as a focal point for the performances, with the open floor plan also allowing artists to perform in multiple locations around the room, creating an immersive viewing experience – one never knows where the next surprise will spring from.
You know you’re in for a treat when a show begins by handing out large plastic sheets to those seated in the front rows – audiences on 18 June barely had time to think before aerial performer Tuedon Ariri made a literal splash in a stunning display of strength and agility that sees her suspended above – and sometimes plunged into – an elegant, water-filled bathtub centre stage.
David Pereira delivers an equally impressive display of strength as he flits effortlessly between the silk ribbons suspended above stage before returning later in the evening for a rather cheeky exercise in flexibility. Quick-handed juggler Byron Hutton entertains throughout the night and L J Marles’ seductive routines enthral.
Heather Holliday raises the temperature with a red-hot display of fire breathing before upping the shock factor with an equally impressive performance that must be seen to be believed. Tara Boom completes the talented cast, delivering a quirky performance featuring popcorn (to say more would ruin the surprise) before returning later in the show to demonstrate her balancing skills in a flawlessly executed routine that captures the whimsy and magic of circuses of old.
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Each carefully choreographed act unfolds to an eclectic soundtrack of musical scores, cabaret classics and remixed pop songs, which perfectly capture the performances’ energy and emotion. Hints of powerhouse divas such as Lady Gaga ring out among the fast-paced songs played in Marles’ frenetic silks routine; powerful operatic notes accentuate Pereira’s strength as he dangles from the ribbons; and a slowed down, melodic version of Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ becomes a haunting soundtrack to Boom’s precise balancing act.
Featuring coarse language, nudity and adult themes, La Clique is an adults-only experience that’s sure to entertain anyone with an open mind and a love of glittery sass.
La Clique at Adelaide Cabaret Festival
Presented by Spiegeltent International and David Bates
Created by David Bates
Cast: Byron Hutton, David Pereira, Heather Holliday, LJ Marles, Tara Boom and Tuedon Ariri
Warnings: Coarse language, nudity, haze effects and adult themes
La Clique plays in the Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre until 22 June 2025.
