From the moment we arrived at The Tusk Club last night, we were enveloped in the world of C’est Magnifique. Exotic characters in glamorous outfits dashed around the snug setting, we were shown to our intimate booth and our senses were primed for an extraordinary evening. When Cyril took the stage to open the evening, he made us all promise that ‘Here it is right’, a statement we all repeated back, and it was true in every sense of the word.
C’est Magnifique is a collection of six amazing characters, each one unique, each one crafted. We don’t know their backstories, but would happily sit and listen to them and be sure of a great yarn. How they have come together, how they are so perfectly attuned to each other is unknown, but they are here to put on a show just for us. To describe this is a cabaret show is to do it an injustice. It is a perfectly crafted suite of songs and dances that evoke the downfall of the Weimar Republic, Berlin in the 1930s, a good dollop of French sass with some eclectic numbers from well-loved musicals and shows. You could imagine Edith Piaf on the stage alongside them, and Sally Bowles would definitely be a fan. This show is performed a cast who really care about the music they are singing and the impact of every song.
The show mixes beautifully choreographed performances involving the whole troop with solo numbers that highlight each of their personalities. All the cast members have fantastic voices, but when they use their close harmonies together we get a real sense of how precise and well honed this show is. Particular stand outs for us were the performance of ‘Money’ from ‘Cabaret’ with their syncopated use of tambourines, a completely new take on Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Holding Our For A Hero’, and their Bond medley which has moments of sheer beauty. Many of the songs we didn’t know, but the lyrics were perfectly selected, others were taken from a more modern period, but given a twist to make them perfect for the era they were portraying.
We moved between comedy and more personal moments. The Titanic sketch is deliberately silly, whilst Gaylord’s solo had us in tears. The Seamen medley was something to behold full of innuendo and camp, yet not sleazy or over the top. Throughout the night, every single performer was working the room with sly winks, exaggerated facial quirks, knowing smiles, we all felt completely involved, welcomed and included. When the long awaited audience participation section arrived, every member of the room got involved and were happy to do so.
This show feels like it has been plucked from a high-end club in a capital city somewhere in Europe and we are so lucky to have it here in Brighton. It is a bubble you can’t believe you have been invited into and you don’t want to leave. Within ten minutes we were listing friends we wanted to bring to the next performance, keen to share the secret of this marvellous discovery. The venue, The Tusk Club at The Walrus, is also perfect for them, comfortable and intimate, they make great use of all the space, and the food on offer was extremely tasty too.
C’est Magnifique is run by Chocolate Box Theatre and has enjoyed a regular booking at The Tusk Club at The Walrus, with plans for future shows there later this year. However, they are also branching out into Brighton Fringe where we know they will be highly welcomed. This is a ticket to grab!
Performance Dates:
May 2nd – 9.30 pm Wundabarn at Spiegelgardens
May 7th – 9.30 pm Wundabarn at Spiegelgardens
May 14th – 9.30 pm Wundabarn at Spiegelgardens
May 16th – 9.30 pm Wundabarn at Spiegelgardens
May 30th – 10.00 pm Tusk Club at The Walrus with club night to follow
This is one of several performances over the Fringe season:
Tickets are available directly from The Chocolate Box Theatre or from Brighton Fringe.
Cast List
Zelda – Emma Edwards
Gaylord – Nathan Potter
Cyril – Conor Baum
Goldie – Hannah Semple
Bert – Jack Thomson
Babette – Jodie Harrop
Keys/ MD – Magnus Holm Sorenson
Drums – Will Davis
Director/ producer – Emma Edwards
Choreography/ Producer- Nathan Potter
Marketing- Rosie Butler
