East End Cabaret are a female double act who are extremely charismatic, extremely talented musicians, extremely talented comedic fools, and extremely rude! Everything about them is EXTREME.
They are Bernadette Byrne, the tall vampy one, dressed in black with a black Weimar cabaret bob of a hairstyle, pale skin and wide red-rouged lips ready to bite the head off of any man who comes her way. She is the singer, the straight woman – and she is desperate for a man, any man. Victor Victoria is half-man half-woman in the Tommy Cooper tradition: the female half is a saucy dancing girl, the male half sporting tuxedo, bow tie and half-a-moustache (a visual motif they use on their publicity, handing out half-moustaches on sticks around the Royal Mile). Victor Victoria is the multi-instrumental musician, the clown/fool from the wrong side of the tracks. She is totally besotted with Bernadette, and extremely jealous of her male companions.
Together they are the perfect double act, exploring the master/servant clown tradition that has come down to us from Commedia via Music Hall and Variety. One tall, posh, good looking and sophisticated but somewhat lacking in life skills and judgement; the other smaller, rougher, gaudier, a fool with a cunning and deadly intelligence, a fool who doesn’t suffer other fools gladly (her looks of sheer contempt at the men Bernadette picks on are truly withering).
Notoriously Kinky is on the surface a cabaret musical act, but underneath lurks a dark tale of sex, longing, jealousy and murder – probably mass-murder. It opens with the pair playing to the audience in the queue. Once the audience have taken their seats Bernadette tries to get backstage without the audience seeing (obviously failing miserably). Victor Victoria takes the stage alone, sitting behind the piano, playing a ridiculously complicated, virtuoso opening, giving the game away when she takes her hands off the keys to wave when, of course, the music continues (an old chestnut, but beautifully executed). While playing she constantly looks into the audience, making eye contact with a vaudevillian grin, a nod and a wink. Sometimes the mask slips and she gives some poor man a contemptuous pout. It’s all brilliant clowning and audience contact that sets up the show perfectly.
Bernadette comes out and sings the first of many songs which would be much too rude to discuss here – every orifice, bodily fluid, and sexual deviancy is fully discussed in depth as she takes us on her quest to find a man who can satisfy her. As you can guess, no male in the audience is safe – she prowls the auditorium looking for men to pick on as Victor Victoria looks on in disgust.
Playing with the double act dynamic (Bernadette is always in the spotlight) Victor Victoria tries for a solo spot. She plays an instrumental she has composed for the Musical Saw, which she plays beautifully. Unfortunately, Bernadette is in the audience still trying to find a man, causing a ruckus that completely overshadows the music. She finds her man, but Victor Victoria, angry at the interruption and waving the saw in a threatening manner, informs Bernadette that the man displays all the signs… Which leads to a musical highlight of the show, them both pointing to the audience member while shouting ‘Serial Stalker!’ at him.
Later on, we have a song about a penis that won’t go down, which Bernadette tries but fails to satisfy, only to discover that the reason it won’t go down is… the horrible realisation is dawning on us as Victor Victoria shouts it out: ‘HE’S DEAD!”. She suffocated the poor man while Bernadette was in the bathroom ‘slipping into something a little more naked’. Bernadette runs away in shock – not the first time in the show that sees the two running around the room leaving an empty stage.
More poor men are abused, taken up on stage and made to dance extremely rudely. This all could be seen as vulgar and tasteless, yet the execution is precise, and the audience manipulation skilful –like other seasoned performers who work an audience, our duo know exactly who to pick to play with.
These are performers at the top of their game. The clowning and timing is immaculate, the songs are well crafted and easily stand alone. The lyrics are intelligent and poetic with barely a filler word or line. It’s just one great melody and brilliant lyric after another. The darkness is handled with a lightness of touch, and tongue is firmly in cheek. The audience had a riotous time. I’m just going to keep my head down next time I’m in their audience – or maybe go in drag.