This is high-voltage cabaret. An unforgettable collision of cabaret, burlesque, drag, and pure rock.
Inspired by Soho’s vibrant musical legacy, this memorable night features show-stopping vocals, jaw-dropping aerial performers, dazzling drag and extraordinary variety acts, all powered by soaring electric guitar.
Hosted by the incomparable Vanity Von Glow and Ruby Wednesday, and featuring the Soho Underground: a dazzling collective of performers delivering iconic pop anthems, rock classics, spectacular performances and unexpected surprises.
This is cabaret with the volume turned all the way up. This is Soho Electric.
Review by Richard Lambert.
A new direction for cabaret at the Phoenix Artist Club looks to be taking shape with the launch of Soho Electric. Described as a rock drag show featuring burlesque, singing, aerial and drag, it’s certainly a little raunchier and less musical-theatre focused than the Phoenix’s usual offering – and that feels like a welcome addition to the club’s programme.
With QR codes and table-service drinks, there’s a definite sense of modernisation about the evening, and hopefully Soho Electric will help kick-start this Soho institution as it begins another chapter in its remarkable 38-year history. The PAC has been at the heart of London’s theatrical community since 1988, and you can still feel that theatrical DNA running through the place.
Starting the evening with a punchy flashmob featuring the performers is a great way to get things moving, quickly followed by burlesque and aerial acts. The video content has also been given a creative makeover and now feels properly designed to complement the show and make sense within it, rather than simply functioning as a placeholder background.
The acts themselves are superb, with each performer bringing something fresh and distinctive to the arena. I particularly liked the fact that the theatricality extends beyond the performers we see on stage. The person on the door list also gets involved with a song and a little work on the hoop, while the bar manager joins Vanity for a duet. You instinctively know that this is a venue staffed and run by “theatricals” – people who understand performance and aren’t afraid to get involved themselves.
There are still a few things to iron out, of course. When Vanity is playing and singing at the piano, the red curtain does obscure the sightlines for some of the audience. I also wondered whether it might be preferable for Vanity to use the other stage when the stage manager is working with a ladder to rig and de-rig the aerial equipment, including the silks and hoop. After all, that is precisely why he’s wearing blacks! I would also have liked to see some male burlesque and/or aerial performers in the line-up, although I suspect that may well be on the cards for other nights, and with a changing roster of performers it’s probably simply a case of who happens to be appearing on any particular evening.
One thing that struck me is the potential appeal of Soho Electric to the international tourist market – particularly the Japanese market, which I think could be worth targeting.
The launch night was clearly very popular, with the club busy and some areas reaching standing-room-only capacity. There was a real sense that people were enjoying themselves and embracing this new direction.
Soho Electric is a raunchy, lively night out with a changing line-up of performers, which means there’s plenty of reason to go back and see it again. Add in the great central location, the atmosphere of the Phoenix and the fact that you’re in a genuine theatrical club with 38 years of history, and there’s a lot to like. So next time friends or family are in town, take them along – they won’t be disappointed, and it certainly won’t cost you an arm and a leg compared with a West End theatre ticket.
Cast / Performers
Vanity von Glow – Drag / Cabaret / Vocals
Adam Green – Cabaret / Variety
Demi Noire – Burlesque
Petty Nonsense – Burlesque / Cabaret
Katharine Arnold – Aerial / Circus
Meghan Reign – Burlesque / Drag
Jolie Papillon – Burlesque / Dance
Ruby Wednesday – Drag / Live Singing / Cabaret
Vanity von Glow & Meghan Reign – Video Content
Tickets: Click here