This cabaret showcase is overseen by the über-amusing ‘German’ rock duo, Otto and Astrid (actually, two Australian musician-clowns) who expertly teeter on the lips of the shambolic during improvised interactions with their special guests.  There are great participatory games with the audience, such as ’22 second disco’, and of course they play a selection of their hits, such as the new-wave classic ‘Get your Finger out of my Ass (I want to Sit Down)’.

As the old adage goes, ‘an accident is a gift to a clown’, and the pair fully exploit this maxim by apparently not having tried out all of their game ideas beforehand.  And yet, as when Astrid gets her unravelling ‘rock sleeves’ caught up in the microphone stand, you can never be sure how much is genuine mishap and how much is expertly choreographed chaos.  Either way, the clowning is so effortless and inventive that it’s all delightfully funny.

The guests on the night I went provided a good variety, including the eccentric stand-up of Paul Foot; the spectacular sight and sound of cabaret singing sensation Le Gateau Chocolat, the live art burlesque of Adrienne Truscott, and a lip-sync battle hosted by Rhys Nicholson, and featuring Kate Copstick and Aunty.  The balance of well-crafted material and loose improvisation works well to keep us impressed but relaxed, making this a great late-night showcase in and a great place to end up with friends, in a wonderful venue.