Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo: A Night at the Musicals – 90 Years of Drag! review

The title of this cabaret smacks of one of those curiously obsequious compilation shows featuring a host of West End talent; the reference to nine decades of drag is perhaps an even more curious addendum, hinting at a historical analysis of cross-dressing in theatre. In reality, this riotous romp through the musicals is more about fun than fact-finding.

Creators Le Gateau Chocolat and Jonny Woo have both more than earned their stripes internationally, writing and performing in solo shows, musicals and contemporary dramas. This production has been developed on the road for several years and now arrives like a ray of light in the post-Christmas gloom. Labelled "the French and Saunders of drag", the pair boast a combined age of 90 years and they celebrate with this burlesque of songs from the shows that they love. They admit that the links between numbers are tenuous and the choreography suspect, but nothing can disguise their obvious passion for musical theatre as a form of self-expression.

They open with All That Jazz from Chicago, all Liza wigs and ridiculous, oversized, inflatable jazz-hands. In matching sequinned jumpsuits (the hilarious costume designs are by Philip J Shaw), the pair are an absurd Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, aping the classic Bob Fosse choreography and tweaking Fred Ebb’s familiar lyrics. It sets the tone immediately, foreshadowing an evening of singalong favourites and increasingly outlandish costumes. Highlights include Le Gateau Chocolat shimmying on in a fishtail and red wig for a hearty rendition of Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid; and Woo’s energetic lip sync to Some People from Gypsy, a triumph of high camp with no fewer than three quick changes.

There are a few quieter moments, notably a tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John in the form of a poignant rendition of Hopelessly Devoted to You, sung by Le Gateau Chocolat with a genuine sense of loss. There is also Woo’s story of the cross-dressing farmer, whose secret wardrobe he has inherited and uses to add a touch of baby-doll glamour to his Sweet Transvestite from The Rocky Horror Show.

However, on the whole, the tone remains light as the duo work their way through songs from The Sound of Music, Cats and Dreamgirls. They inherently understand the narrative function of a show tune, and interpret each number in their unique and exuberant style.