Blanc de Blanc | The Pear Tree | til Mar 2nd | ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
After a few years abroad, Blanc de Blanc returns to Perth to titillate audiences once again with their fabulously raucous celebration of everyone’s favourite effervescent delight – champagne.
Not much as changed since the show burst all over the Regal Theatre in 2016, but much like the age-old recipe of the show’s raison d’être – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The 1920s-inspired set feels right at home in Blanc de Blanc‘s exclusive Pear Tree venue. At first I was concerned that the performance would lose its grandiose essence after downsizing from a full-sized theatre, but as the talent took to the stage my concerns were washed away like my anxiety after a few glasses of sparkling.
The intimacy afforded by the smaller speigeltent allowed the whole audience to be in on the fun as host Monsieur Romeo and the gang teased and tantalised the crowd with their antics, and even the back row were up close and personal to enjoy the cast’s talents in full-flight.
Monsieur Romeo serves as the audiences guide for the evening, making sure each syllable that leaves his lips was dripping with a sexual charisma in a singular way that only a French accent can.
Romeo is flanked by newcomer Jarrod who balances Romeo’s snooty, lascivious Dracula perfectly as a horny, unrefined Igor – bringing a lightness to the show that would be sorely missed without him.
The show is clearly defined in two parts, before and after the interval. Earlier in the evening, the cast of incredibly talented performers bring their most elegant pieces to the stage – opening with the wonderful ensemble Cigarette Dance to get the audience’s head spinning, moving on to Milena Straczynski’s elegant and captivating aerial performance – a nod to the opulent evenings that usually accompany a glass of bubbles.
After the interval, Blanc takes audiences to a new place. A place where party guests have said yes to more glasses of plonk than they had originally planned, and rules and inhibitions are cast to the wind. The performances become more debaucherous, more ludicrous and even more nude.
J’Aimime had the audiences popping off with her hilarious (and impressive) bubble performance, Jess Mews fingered the crowd (take that as you will) as she worked her magic with hoops to the erratic sounds of SOPHIE, and three of the cast performed a physical ode to butts which was as silly as it was hypnotic.
Blanc De Blanc brings the sophistication (and drunken aftermath) of champagne to Fringe World in a show that sets out with a clear theme, adds incredible talent from across the world and corks it all ready to pop all over WA audiences – and I can assure you it’s just as good the second time around.
In 2016 I reviewed the show for the first time, and my final paragraph still rings true of the show three years later;
“Blanc de Blanc is an elegant, debaucherous and entirely enthralling ode to champagne. The whole performance is a beautifully choreographed imagining of glamorous soiree that descends into reckless abandon. The performers, infallible. The vibe, euphoric. A simple concept, exquisitely executed.”
Blanc de Blanc will be at The Pear Tree until Saturday 2nd March (ex. Mondays). Tickets and more information available from fringeworld.com.au
Leigh Andrew Hill
Image:- Pamela Raith
