Branded as the 'the show that pops your cork', 'Blanc de Blanc' is decadent, sexy and fun.
Led by hosts Felix Pouliot and Remi Martin – both delightfully hamming up all French cliches – 'Blanc de Blanc' is super sexy. The show brings in elements of cabaret, circus and comedy, while remaining as light as fizzy champagne.
Felix and Remi are absolutely the stars of the show. For the majority of the run time, they pitch themselves as clowns – there for the comedic banter between acts, razzing audience members and literally getting their balls out. As comedians, they are wonderfully charming and keep the show gliding along with the audience fully in the palm of their (probably sticky) hands. However, when the Chinese Pole comes out, these performers get serious and show us what they’re made of. Muscle. They’re both made of 100 per cent muscle. At one point, Felix is stretched out horizontally from the massive, smooth vertical Chinese Pole by just a couple of toes. Both artists are truly incredible – the audience gasp at every feat – such core strength was not thought possible.
Other impressive circus-derived performances include arial stunts and hula hoops. Artists fly over the audience, sometimes delicately refilling champagne flutes while hanging upside-down, sometimes just pouring the stuff over whoever happens to be sitting underneath them at the time! The crowd lap it up.
Burlesque performer, model and vocalist Sasha Lee Saunders belts out songs between sets, with a cheeky wink and a grin, and she struts her stuff on stage. Dressed in gorgeous sequined finery, she looks every inch the elegant diva. . . Until the next phase of her performance. Miming male self-pleasure to classical music has never looked so good. It is this mix of irreverence and sex appeal that makes 'Blanc de Blanc' so successful.
Contrasting wildly with the sensuality of the rest is Ukrainian dance artist Misha. Wearing makeup that pops in the fluro lights, he contorts his body through what seems like five planes of existence – forget double jointed, Misha has no joints at all. His act is a fantastic jolt, which really adds to the pacing of the show.
The costumes are really works of art – from tiny bejewelled outfits that capture the light as the acrobats spin, to massive tiered skirts befitting a Parisian chorus line of can-can dancers (and worn by cast members of all genders). The outfits are characters in themselves. Kudos too, to the audience members who dress up and magnify the spirit of the show – from bridal gowns to diamante bras, the crowd really brings it.
