Priceless London Wonderground

Eschew the usual Christmas panto this year and head straight to La Soirée’s Spiegeltent for something a bit darker and much more tantalizing. The critically-​acclaimed variety show has returned to the Southbank for another season of thrills and eccentricity, boasting a solid line-​up of cabaret stars, contortionists and acrobatic madcaps. I attended one of the early performances in early November 2015 and, despite seeing the show twice before, I was still brought to shrieks of horror and laughter (often by the same performance!).
This time around, the acts include some stalwarts of the cabaret scene, including the impressive display of strength and balance by The English Gents, the dysfunctional display of body manipulation of Captain Frodo and the powerful cabaret stylings of Miss Frisky, all who have previously graced the Spiegeltent. New additions to the La Soirée family include Yammel Ridriguez, who performs a devilishly sexy acrobatic act on a single strap, and Melanie Chy, who, after riding into the centre ring on a burly motorcycle, demonstrates incredible hand balancing talents.
The established La Soirée players keep the show fresh with some new pieces– including one half of the English Gents, Denis Lock, who mesmerised the audience with his astounding bubble art– or by adapting their performance to feed off the enthusiasm of the audience. Even when the inevitable technical hitch of a live performance stalls the show– like the curse of a malfunctioning microphone– the cast barely flinch and recover with ease.
The interior of the Spiegeltent has the audience sitting in the round, giving everyone a respectable view of the action, but the ringside seats are worth the investment. As a warning, some volunteers are pulled from the audience at random by the cast– especially those from the ringside section– and you might end up with a performer in your lap. The show runs approximately two hours with an intermission and there are well-​stocked bars severing a good selection of beer and cider. Boxes of popcorn are toted by ushers during the break, but there’s more substantial food on offer outside of the tent.
London is awash with cabaret variety shows, but La Soirée has been a consistent audience pleaser since 2009, when it originated as La Clique– it’s got a naughty theatrical charm and a grown-​up, scandalous character, but it’s all very highly entertaining. It’s post-​watershed, but the most of the debauchery is verbal and tangled in euphemisms. It’s a great night out for a couple– or, if you have something to celebrate– opt for an entire booth and watch the chaos from a safe distance.

Went to see Scotch and Soda tonight and it was BRILLIANT. We booked on the night for the lowest price tickets at £17.50 each. You don’t need to pay any more, the venue is small enough it’s not worth it. The show was fantastic. Circus, music, comedy and even a willy or two! The performers are so skilful, it’s truly amazing. I would go back in a heartbeat. Get down here before it’s gone in September.

We went to see Scotch and Soda at the Speigentent and loved it! The venue is stunning and the vibe electric. At is is a summer fair everyone is always happy.
Have see several other shows here in previous year and would highly recommend it. If you ask me this is the best value for money theatre in London!

TimeOut had an offer on for the last Friday night Freakshow cabaret of the summer so I bought tickets as we had seen the hosts at the Arcola a couple of years back and wanted to see what they were doing now.
First impressions on arriving at the Wunderground were not good. It was about 10:30pm, full of drunk people, the queue was about a mile long to get into the cabaret and security people were shouting go this way and that… we ended up being directed on three loops of the place.
We decided not to join the queue but rather to wait in the bar area until they started letting people in and have a drink. Well, once people started going in the queue seemed kinda redundant as everyone in the bar area outside the entrance had also been waiting to go in and go in we did. Luckily, everyone was seated close to the stage and I didn’t feel so bad for blatantly jumping the queue.
The cabaret show was outstanding! Eastend Cabaret led the proceedings and we had a card ninja, an extremely talented singer/​songwriter/​comedienne, a stand up and the amazing hula boy — a portly, Elvis suited hula dancing superstar.
First impressions then were awful but the show made it all worth it. I think it’s gone now but it may be back again next year so keep a look out on the schedules and TimeOut and come and see the show.

Back for Summer 2013, London’s Wonderground is part of E4 Underbelly Festival with it’s upside down purple cow parked firmly by Southbank and the Thames.
I love the décor of the Wonderground bar, with its cute bumper car seating (perfect for couples), carnival lighting and the mighty Spiegeltent setting the backdrop. I watched the acrobatic spectacular Circa presents Beyond, and the surroundings really set the mood and atmosphere for the show.
Even if you’re not there to see a show, it’s still worth checking out The Underbelly bar area which has plenty of seating, a ‘secret’ garden with gazebos, chinese lanterns and a pond plus a Candy Bar. It’s perfect for groups on a Saturday night!

Well, we booked in to see The Tiger Lilies and we didn’t really get it. All around us were people who had come to worship at the feet of their heroes… and us.
We didn’t really get it… however the spiegeltent is fab and the south bank is the place to be on a Saturday night!
It’s good to try something new… even if you don’t get it!

LAST WEEK! Get down here!
It’s the pop up that popped up in May, then why and how have I only just visited?
I wish I had gone earlier so it couldn’t been my summer haunt.
This is an elaborate venue. All the fun of the fair with a circus/​freakshow feel about it with olde posters donning every wall. Candy floss, sweets. fair ground rides, actual freak show, theatre and lots and lots of bars.
There’s ample outside and covered seating. Subtly lit in the darkness you could see couples making out in some of the outside booths and friends perching together in stationary bumper cars.
The atmosphere was chilled and upbeat.
On a date night with the mrs, we booked ourselves in for Fasinating Aida. I would highly recommend you all do the same. Book yourself in for this topical musical comedy and enjoy the quirky atmosphere before it disappears at the end of the month.

hung out here during a pleasant saturday afternoon/​evening during the olympics. being an edinburgh girl, i was totally stoked on finding somewhere that has such an edinburgh festival vibe — this is the first year in eight years that i haven’t spent most of august hanging out in the wonderland that is edinburgh during the fringe, so it was amazing for my slightly home sick (okay very home sick!) heart.
we drank all the pimms, we rode on the stargazer (amazing views!), we drank in waltzers and dodgems, we found the golden bar in the magners maze (but finding it doesn’t win you a pint — rude!!!), we stroked a snake, and we watched the football and the athletics on big screen tvs with an amazing atmosphere and lots of cheering. SO GOOD!

We went to see Cantina today on a Timeout offer and boy was it 10 pounds worth fo very good fun.
Zara L kept saying that it reminded her of Edinburgh Festival, I just like being in a quasi salon style big tent with giant dodgems outside, shame they don’t move. Overall the feel was like at a festival but without all the people and the muck, but 100% the fun (oh my that is heaven!)
Next door is the now familiar summer Udderbelly fixture and the bermuda triangle that is the Magnum «In The Dark Bar». Well we didn’t find anything that was pitch black so it must have got drunk and crawled into a small space somewhere.
I left hoping that Timeout would do more tickets offer as it was a fantabulous evening y’all!