Tag Archives: southbank

Crazy Horse Paris Presents Forever Crazy, Southbank

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Wow! Be warned, this is not a show for the weak-hearted.

Infamous cabaret club Le Crazy Horse Paris bring their new show Forever Crazy to London, a titillating display of beautiful bodies and captivating moves. The production is housed in a luxurious purpose-built Southbank venue. This raunchy cabaret show was opened in 1951 by Alain Bernardin on the prestigious Avenue George V and is known for its glamorous nude cabaret attracting a cool bohemian crowd. Le Crazy Horse has collaborated with celebrity guests such as Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Arielle Dombasle and Dita Von Teese. Throughout its history the Crazy Horse girls have been muses to artists, writers and fashion designers. They have walked in couture presentations and performed for some of the world’s most prestigious fashion houses.

My friend and I visited Forever Crazy on opening night, with no idea of the excitement and heart-wrenching envy we were about to endure. The dimly lit tent is decorated with flirtatious neon signs. In the auditorium audience members sit at cabaret tables around the room, ensuring a good view for everyone, but an absolute nightmare for the poor waitresses.

The ten Crazy girls are perhaps the most beautiful women on the planet. Despite recently watching the Moulin Rouge show in Paris, I felt naïve and unsophisticated witnessing this glorified striptease. Plumped and pouting to perfection, poised ready to deliver, these girls are too hot to handle. Don’t take your boyfriend, I even found myself getting hot under the collar. Seriously sexy, men and women will be transfixed by the dancing and exhilarating acts.

For me, it was the visuals that were most impressive. Staggering lighting design and direction from the creative team accentuate the talented performers and create wildly imaginative optical illusions. It is a feast for the eyes. My favourite acts were ‘Upside Down’ a kaleidoscope of sensuality, and ‘God Save our Bareskin’ where a well rehearsed army of girls stomp about in Royal Guards uniforms.

Overflowing with Parisian glamour and allure, these seductive French Fancies will leave you stunned and stuttering all the way home.

Forever Crazy runs until 24th December 2012 at Southbank. Tickets start from £35 and special Champagne and show packages are available.

For more info, visit: http://www.forevercrazy.co.uk/

Cantina, Southbank Centre

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Cantina is a short and eccentric cabaret show headlining at Southbank’s Priceless London Wonderground, in the Udderbelly venue. Fresh from tours of Australia and Europe, the petite cast are gleefully confident on stage, prancing about with no apparent fear.

Chilling and dangerously dark at times, this production will certainly hold your attention. Created specifically for a spiegeltent, this cosy environment suits the production perfectly. It is not your average cabaret, this show is definitely more sultry than sexy. The impressive pain the performers seem to endure is wincingly captivating though scarily disturbing at times. Some acts are better than others, I found the silly baby voice of Chelsea McGuffin, along with the heel stomping and bottle balancing, immensely irritating and unnecessary. It is slender, wide-eyed Finnish contortionist Henna Kaikula who interested and impressed me most, her lyrical movements and secretive nature are alluring to watch.

The acts focus on the precarious relationships between men and women. Some of the choreography is dark and aggressive, balletic dance develops into harsh movements. Whilst this is powerful and entrancing, I wonder quite how necessary the violent abusive insinuations are. I feel particularly pained for David Carberry who endures the brunt of the hostility.

It is a lovely extra to have live music on stage while the acts commence, the lilting melodies and gentle rhythms add an exhilarating energy to the production and gives the proceedings edge. It is well thought through and there are moments of humour although I am not entirely sure about the naked newspaper scene, you’ll have to go to understand this as I’m too embarrassed to explain!

These talented artists twist and contort for our amusement, and judging by the audience reaction their sombre circus is a resounding triumph. I have some reservations but commend the cast on a well composed and perfected piece of dramatic work.

Continues until 30 September, more information here.

Yalla Yalla, Winsley Street

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My love and appetite for Lebanese food was fuelled this year during my two trips to the Middle Eastern city, Beirut. Lean, fresh and full of flavour, it is a cuisine that never fails to satisfy and delight me. Near my work in South Kensington, I have scouted two suitable Lebanese outlets… Comptoir Libanais for meze platters and juice (and my favourite Lebanese chewing gum!) and Beirut Express for dangerously addictive Chicken Sharwarma on hungrier (less healthy) days.

Yalla Yalla has been on my ‘to try’ list for a while, and with the opening of the temporary branch on Southbank it was prompted in my memory. The Beirut style restaurant chain has grown already with three branches around the Oxford Street/Soho area in addition to the Southbank summer pop-up. I love the punchy and fun name, and the ambience and food we discovered inside lived up to expectations.

The Winsley Street branch is moments away from Oxford Street tube station and when we arrived early on an August Friday evening the place was packed. The restaurant is large and eccentric with large wooden benches to sit on communally. We were shown to a light airy space by the window, perfect for street observing and slightly quieter, away from the main buzz of the venue. The menu was overwhelming, all my favourites stared up at me expectantly: grilled halloumi, hummous, tabbouleh… to avoid disappointment we ordered it all as well as chargrilled chicken wings, Barara Harra, Chicken Sharwarma and Kafta Minced Lamb Skewers. Luckily I had only eaten one little chocolate bar all day, so was famished and ready to feast.

The food arrives at Yalla Yalla as it is ready, rather than a strict starter/main routine. Our smaller dishes all arrived first… melt in the mouth chicken wings with the most delicious marinade, crispy skin on the outside and tender chicken meat inside. Tabbouleh salad was a super fresh and vibrant mix of ingredients and the halloumi was delicious though could have been grilled a little more. The obvious favourite though was the homemade hummous (chickpea puree) topped with marinated slices of lamb fillet. We hoovered it up, it was the perfect combination of salty meat and soft creamy hummous… I wondered why on earth I had never tried this speciality before?!

The main dishes were huge and mounted high on plates. My initial thought was “wow this smells good” followed closely by “how on earth are we going to finish all that food?” Chicken Sharwarma was as delicious as always but in Yalla Yalla it’s not as greasy or unhealthy feeling as I have previously experienced. Piled onto an open pitta bread with rice and salad the only thing it lacked was a big dollop of garlic sauce. The Minced Lamb was richer in flavour, grilled lightly with sweet onion and fragrant parsley and served with rice and Sumac onion salad. Both utterly yummy, so good we agreed to take the remains away with us in a doggy bag… something I never normally feel like burdening myself with!

Full of delicious savoury food, we declined dessert, though the options were varied and attractive sounding. Instead we had a final sweet kick from our sugary drinks. Yalla Yalla offers an extensive list of tempting cocktails, classics that have been adapted using Middle Eastern ingredients. I would recommend ordering the Beiruti, a lovely refreshing gin-based cocktail with fresh strawberry, lime, cane sugar, pomegranate juice and topped with Prosecco, it is not too overpowering and will complement your meal.

Yalla Yalla is perfect for take-away treats or a casual sit down meal… the restaurant has a joyful atmosphere and the best Lebanese food in town.

Visit the Yalla Yalla website here for more information.