Brighton’s calendar is not short of regular performance events, but C’est Magnifique is in a league of its own. This artfully conceived 1930s cabaret night is so smooth and polished that it gleams.
Having recently received the Pebble Trust Touring Award and so presumably set to be shared with wider audiences, C’est Magnifique can still be caught locally at the Tusk Club at The Walrus on the last Friday of every month.
It’s hard to imagine a show better suited to the Tusk Club than C’est Magnifique. I’ve been to a fair few events down there, but the plush booths have always felt vaguely incongruous, an interesting quirk at the most. With C’est Magnifique, every inch of the space participates enthusiastically in an experience of indulgent luxury. The premise is ‘an imagined night haunt in Paris or Berlin in the 1930s’, and that’s exactly the sense that you get. Montmartre mingles with the Weimar Republic in an aesthetic that feels completely coherent and is never forced. An escape into decadence in the face of rising fascism? As gender-bending emcee Cyril points out, the parallels have never been more stark.
The six-strong cast shines as they deliver musical number after musical number to the live accompaniment of keys and drums. Each character brings a distinct flavour to proceedings and each delivers West End-standard vocal performances. Cyril is a winningly snarky emcee, anchoring the show with consummate professionalism and delivering bravura solos – Take Me Or Leave Me from Rent was one of the many highlights of the evening. This is a show that revels in smut and levity but occasionally moves, as in grande dame Zelda’s powerful rendition of How Lucky Can You Get.
My favourite songs were the ones that involved the whole company. Something’s Coming from West Side Story arranged for six voices (by musical director Magnus) and the opening to Songs For A New World were both thrilling. The choreography by Nathan Potter and Emma Edwards is immaculately performed and witty; inventive touches involving tambourines, torches, illuminated parasols and singing suitcases delighted the audience and sometimes invoked peals of helpless laughter. A tap number to I Got Rhythm was utterly joyous. The whole room was having such a delicious time that there was no hesitation whatsoever when it came to some audience participation for the can-can.
C’est Magnifique is a sparkling cocktail of sass, sauce and sophistication. It’s a five-star concoction and a truly special night out.
Tickets: Design My Night
Address: The Tusk Club, The Walrus, 10 Ship St, Brighton BN1 1AD
Read more: Things To Do In Brighton this October
