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It may have been a cool evening in Perth yesterday, but it was HOT HOT HOT at the Ice Cream Factory thanks to Tone and Cheek. It’s true: CLUB D’AMOUR is back with a vengeance.
And judging by the crowd last night, it was certainly missed. The show was sold out with seven hundred people packing the venue, eager for a night of hedonistic entertainment.
We were not disappointed. Confidently comandeered by th aptly fierce Fayrocious, CLUB D’AMOUR was 80 minutes of full on sensual indulgence. This raunchy excursion did exactly what MC Fayrocious said it would do: tickle our senses and make us forget about the current state of the world.
The music was a mash up of popular hits and sweetly topped with the full bodied, silky smooth vocals of Christine Ibrahim. Her operatic rendition of WAP was music to my ears… when I wasn’t cackling hard at her onstage antics. I won’t spoil it but maybe avoid being too close to the front if you’re adverse to getting wet.
Speaking of wet, while Nat Oakes’ fire-breathing skills wowed many, her bathtub routine with Wade Ryder had me sit up and take a proper look. What started as a cheeky, sudsy romp turned into a high-flying spectacle. Perhaps we should rename her Gaia for her mastery of the fire, earth, water and air elements.
And it would be remiss of me to not mention one of my favourite performers, Matthew Pope. We already know that he’s one of the best in the business, especially where aerial silks is concerned. He had a new toy at Club D’Amour; the shibari ropes, which is completely on brand for CLUB D’AMOUR’s debacuhery. Even though it must have hurt, he tumbled down those ropes as smoothly as he does with the silken sashes.
The grand finale was an act new to Perth – the cloud swing. It was deftly manipulated by Melbourne-based artist Tom McKinnon, who nearly touched the ceiling of Ice Cream Factory as he swung to the sky. He was exhilirating to watch. My heart dropped several times as he let go of the swing to perform one death-defying stunt after another. If I was his mother, I would have needed an ambulance on standby, with the engine running.
Considering that some of the cast were
This is one the few shows that I would happily re-attend so that I can fully enjoy the experience as a spectator, not a reviewer.
Please Tone and Cheek, can you do me a solid and add more shows? If not, I’ll also settle for crashing rehearsals.
CLUB D’AMOUR: Encore are performing every Wednesday to Sunday night until the 1st February.