The Wam Bam Club at Café de Paris

4^th November 2012

Grace Essex

Grace Essex

4 November 2012

The Wam Bam Club brought tons of saucy sophistication to Café de Paris Saturday night when one of the only supper-clubs in London gave a variety show to die for, packed full of innuendos and classy crudeness in London’s Piccadilly Circus.

Presented by the potty-mouthed Lady Alex – who gave her own burlesque performances on more than one occasion, the Wam Bam Club had the dinner guests loving an incredibly interactive show where unsuspecting men where taken up to the stage as part of the routine more than once – humouring many of the women in the audience of course.

Starting with a blonde bombshell stripping to reveal next to nothing, the show was traditionally burlesque from the start. Not only aimed at satisfying the males in the crowd, it wasn’t far into the show when Chocolatino performed. A virtuosic muscle bound gymnast had the attention of all the women when he rotated round on just his head during quite a risky feat. Next was a hilarious American piano player/singer whose songs featured sleazy rhyming details about her sexual past. Moving quickly from one act to the other, the Wam Bammers were able to deliver a thrilling performance by constantly involving the crowd and presenting one well-devised vaudeville act after another.

With male dancers involved as well as women stripping down to their thongs and nipples tassels, the show provided something for everyone. With dancers that looked like they’d just stepped out of Eyes Wide Shut, one couldn’t miss the very credible, well-designed outfits. Not just lacking in attire, the women were dressed in impressively quintessential burlesque costumes, making you feel as if you’d been transported back to a 1940s’ cabaret.

Keeping the show topical too, the master of ceremonies Lady Alex, dressed as former News of the World journalist, Rebecca Brooks, stripped then had two males squirt champagne on her – keeping the key satirical element of burlesque as of the essence of the show. Finishing with Mr Beaver Gentleman performing chap-hop on a banjo, The Wam Bam show ended with the Queen’s English performances of modern songs – including a hysterical take on Prodigy’s Out of Space.

By constantly intertwining filth with funniness, the show was always able to keep its raunchiness within the boundaries of family fun. Of course you didn’t see any youngsters there but groups of people on hen nights and stag dues and even birthdays were given a stylish three-course menu and copious amounts of booze to leave them thoroughly satisfied.

Verdict:  •••••

Matt Di Salvo

Visit the Wam Bam website here to find out about their future shows.