Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett at Underbelly Boulevard – review

Gloriously decadent and outrageously indecent, Bernie Dieter’s Club Kabarett at Soho’s shiny new Underbelly Boulevard, may just be the sexiest show in town right now. Full of debouched wit and naked flesh, this is not a show for the faint-hearted. Yet, there is a grace and beauty to the work on offer here and an embracing inclusivity that makes this fearless evening a uniquely shared experience for anybody that is lucky enough to witness this class act at work.

This is the first show on offer at the superbly refurbished Soho venue. Formerly known just as The Boulevard, it closed in the nineties sometime after moving away from its Raymond Revue roots when it first opened in the seventies. Now, it’s all polished concrete, glass bridges and red neon and is a handsome addition to London’s cabaret scene.

German-born Bernie Dieter is the emcee and raucous host of the evening and fearlessly faces down the audience with a bravura performance. Bedecked in tassels, feathers and ripped stockings, Dieter is described as a cross between Lady Gaga, Marlene Dietrich and Frank-N-Furter in sequins. She handles the audience with equal amounts of allure and menace, seemingly making eye contact with each person as she grapples and manhandles her way through the crowd – be prepared to be straddled at any moment if you are anywhere near the front! She revels in being surrounded by “punks, freaks and weirdos” and announces early into proceedings that this is a show that is about “letting loose, letting go and getting a little bit intimate” – she walks the dangerous line perfectly, with a terrifying sultriness at every turn.

Dieter proclaims that “difference is something to be celebrated” and a wonderfully non-conforming troupe of talent is on display here to demonstrate just that. As we take our seats, PVC-clad girls and Lycra-encased boys mingle and work the crowd – anything goes in this provocative world. The authentic-sounding Weimar-punk jazz band goes from bluesy to rock with a great finale set led by Dieter that is as much German Oompah as it is a full-throated anthem of celebration.

The ‘punks and misfits’ all provide a dazzling array of slickly drilled routines that are often as exquisite to watch as they are jaw-dropping to behold. Blue Phoenix wraps and contorts his nine-inch stiletto-heeled legs around a pole in a breathtaking routine that is as gender-fluid as it is physically fluid. Adam Malone oozes sexuality in his muscled drag persona and impressively does unmentionable things with a teaspoon and a teabag – it must be seen to be believed.

Some spectacularly athletic aerial work from The Seifert Sisters provides some heart-stopping moments as the duo wrap themselves around one another up on high, whilst fire-eating contortionist Bella Diosa heats things up with some gravity-defying stunts. Joe Keeley slows the pace with some beautiful silkwork.

It’s a riotous evening that pushes physical boundaries, embraces non-conformity and sits comfortably on the edge of danger. It’s deliciously saucy whilst generating a beautiful warmth but still has enough sass to startle and provoke. Dieter is a fierce and consummate professional – this fine evening of cabaret is the real deal.