Black. Black room, black bed, black lamps, black piano, black performer. The title of this piece reflects the strong and driving theme singer Le Gateau Chocolate (British-born but brought up in Nigeria) seeks to challenge: What does black mean? In descriptions of mental health. In the battle between good and evil, light and dark. And of course as a categorisation of skin colour.

We are invited into Le Gateau Chocolat’s bedroom; his private world, behind the make-up and the wigs, and gently lulled into a bedtime story of his childhood. This is beautifully visualised by Mark Chalton with a friendly animation of ‘Little Black’ – a boy growing up in Nigeria with dreams to be a famous opera singer, dressed in fine gowns and draped in jewels. This dream proceeds to be slowly torn down by society, school mates, and family, finally shattered by the piercing voice of Le Gateau as he laments this loss. The animation is interspersed with musical numbers from our tenor, a voice so powerful and emotive that an operatic rendition of Strange Fruit raises tears from more than just myself. As we see ‘Little Black’ grow into an adult, the story expands into issues of self image, body image, and sexuality and I am made acutely aware of Le Gateau’s ability to make himself vulnerable for us without making us uncomfortable, although this is difficult viewing. These are some of the categories he is defined by: an overweight, homosexual, cross-dressing, black man brought up in Africa. He brings such tenderness to the difficulties that he finds in social expectation and categorisation that the ridiculousness of these structures is laid bare with numbing strength. Digitally projected tips on how to deal with being fat; a song composed from advice given on the NHS direct hotline; and mimed moments of Whitney Houston portray his sense of the frivolity of human existence in stark contrast with the weighty darkness he has experienced in periods where he has found its fragility almost too much to bear.

There are so many big themes here, each one has enough potential for a whole show. Le Gateau has made his name performing cabaret numbers for the likes of La Clique and La Soiree, but here this endearing performer immerses us in his perspective on the world and I would have been happy to spend more time on every point.

Le Gateau never points fingers or hangs blame, he simply does the bravest and strongest thing anyone can, he allows us to look at him, vulnerable, alone, open and stripped of his stage persona. To look at him, listen to his story and sink into the reality of the world through his eyes. This is an important, relevant and invigorating piece of cabaret theatre, moreover, this is an important, relevant and invigorating man, and I for one am very glad that he exists. Long live Le Gateau.