A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of being invited to see Forever Crazy, the new London show from Crazy Horse (which is the best night out in Paris!), starring our very own Kelly Brook.
Housed in a plush spiegeltent on the South Bank with velvet curtains, low lighting and waitresses bringing champagne flutes to our table, Forever Crazy celebrates 60 years of the original cabaret show, Crazy Horse. Founded in 1951 by the French avant-garde artist Alain Bernardin who, fascinated by American showgirls, wanted to create a show in which artistic creation, original choreography and the beautiful female form is the focus. A winning combination, really.
In Le Crazy, each of Bernadin's acts were conceived as a tableaux with its own storyline and Forever Crazy is no different: ten classically-trained dancers ran through a Best Of selection of fourteen acts from the legendary repertoire, all of which featured silhouettes of perfectly curved bodies and arched backs bathed in coloured light.
Since 1989 every single show has opened with the iconic number God Save Our Bareskin, choreographed by a lieutenant from the British Army, apparently (varied work, those army officers...) featuring a line of nine near-naked girls marching and saluting dressed as Royal Horse Guards in Bearskins and stockings.
Scanner was another one of my favourite acts, featuring five poles and five dancers flicking their long hair around in front of laser lighting projection scanning the stage. Upside down featured kaleidoscopic patterns in large mirrors with three girls dancing with red shoes, Miss Brook writhed around on a pink lips sofa in Lecon d'Erotisme and U Turn Me On was a great ensemble finale, with all ten gorgeous girlies in multicoloured short fringe bob wigs.
The styling is very 80s glamour; big blow dried hairsprayed hair, Robert Palmer style make up - bold red lips, smoky black eyes and big eyelashes - with all the girls in glossy wigs. The glitzy costumes and gorgeous lingerie are stunning too.
Produced by Harvey Goldsmith CBE, who has worked on massive events including Live Aid and Live 8 so knows a thing or two about how to put on a cracking show, Forever Crazy is a stylish, sophisticated, provocative spectacle for boys and girls alike. If you haven't seen it already, go before the three month residency ends!
The Crazy Horse 99 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PU
The Crazy Horse 99 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PU
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