The circus is in town! Sort of. La Clique — the circus meets cabaret meets comedy meets live music meets good times only phenomenon meets entertainment powerhouse — is here in Singapore and frankly, we don’t know where to begin. Sure, we can talk about Heather Holliday, the youngest female sword swallower or Oscar Kaufmann, a “Bath Boy” who literally flies in and over a bath tub but frankly, we’re going to let show director David Bates take us through what makes a night La Clique that damn enjoyable.
Here, Bates introduces some of the cast and gives us a sneak preview of what to expect from La Clique’s show in Singapore.
Pictured Above: A close up of Heather Holliday during rehearsal: Heather Holiday is a New York native who started her career as a high school intern at the Coney Island Circus Slideshow. She also held the title of being the Youngest Female Sword Swallower in the world, and has been featured in many music videos such as 50 Cent and Rick Ross, as well as hosting the MTV Iggy Show. She is a bona fide star in the international world of variety and nouveau circus performance and has been in shows all over the world and has found her true home with La Clique. She is from the true tradition of circus sideshow and learnt her craft at the most romantic training ground of all — Coney Island.
In the photo, she is holding steel fire rods, spinning it around as she would when it is set aflame.
Elke backstage: Elke is a passionate, energetic and driven young Australian circus performer. She specialises in Dance Trapeze and Cyr Wheel. Since 2015, she has worked with some of the most reputable circus and entertainment companies in the world including Palazzo, La Clique, Strut n Fret and Circus Oz. In her downtime, to both relax but also focus on all things balance, she skates around for fun!
I have a great relationship with all La Clique performers (past and present) and there have been many in the 18 years since La Clique was born in Edinburgh in 2004. We are like a dysfunctional family of misfits… and at the moment we all think we are living a dream — after 18 months of no performances.
Heather Holliday waiting to go on stage during rehearsal: Heather was going to go through her entire routine step-by-step, as well as making certain she is in sync with the live band.
Hula Hoopist Lisa Lottie rehearses her act: Lisa Lottie is the Hula Hoop queen but she is also a cabaret superstar, festival performer, TEDx speaker and an actress. She is from Amsterdam, the Netherlands and has performed in over 40 countries across the globe as a variety solo, street performer and company member.
La Clique chooses the best of the best and each artist owns their own acts and skills. La Clique provides a full show “context” for performers who deliver brilliant, but short performance pieces. The show is the reinvention of variety for the 21st Century performed in close proximity to the audience so that the experience involves great artists within reach of them and to ensure that they also feel like they are part of the performance.
Some facts you might not know about professional hula hoopists would be that Japan once banned the hula hoop because the rotating hip action seems indecent! Or, that the longest duration for a single hula hoop to be hooped is 74 hours and 54 minutes, record set in the US by Aaron Hibbs in 2009.
J’aiMime performing a balloon act: J’aiMime is a farcical showgirl from Brisbane with over 15 years of experience in the global circus industry. She was a core member of Strut n Frets’ headline show “Blanc de Blanc”, had a residency in Las Vegas, London’s Soho Burlesque Club & The Silent Disco Show to name a few. As a performer in La Clique, her act includes inflating a massive balloon before inserting certain parts of her body into the balloon structure and eventually submerging into it in her entirety.
This picture is a snippet of her act. She is interacting with the inflated large balloon to the beat of the band.
Jamie’s act is physically exhausting. Inside the balloon, she has to be conscious of her breathing throughout as there is only a limited amount of oxygen inside the balloon so suffocation is a real possibility and a crew has to stand by. As well as her large physical movements on stage, it is also more of a mental challenge being inside a tiny space. She is completely blind inside the balloon so a lot of planning goes into the production of the piece to ensure she stays safe inside. The balloon can also pop on stage so that is always an exciting and unpredictable thrill. It keeps the band on the edge of their seats but is an act not to be tried at home.
J’aiMime getting dressed: The costumes were redesigned and selected by J’aimime because they need to be specifically safe enough to climb in and out of the balloon. There can not be any loose bits that the balloon can be caught on. She also adds a bit of pizazz by adding rhinestones so that she sparkles and shines under lights.
J’aiMime putting her makeup on: J’aiMime has been in the circus business for more than 15 years and every element that goes into her persona on stage is owned by J’aiMime. Including, the type of makeup she puts on!
Performer Elke having fun skateboarding: Elke is skating here as part of her training règime! All sorts of things happen backstage and there is usually another performance going on behind the curtain every night that tickets couldn’t possibly be sold for.
Performers Oskar and Pierre having a moment on stage: Oskar is a passionate trapeze artist and “Bathboy” — an iconic La Clique signature act where he flies in and over a bathtub. Pierre is one of the Willers who are the duo that skate in tandem and wow the crowds. Pierre Willer is the third generation of a roller skating performance family. His parents were in La Clique in 2006 and are international circus royalty.
They’re pictured here talking about their cue, entrance, live music, lights and all the things that make this show so incredibly intimate and unique. They were actually going on stage together to one of the tables that is set on stage. Following which, Oskar will perform a unique number with a circular coat rack.
Performers Oskar and Pierre with the band onstage: The band is playing to the score of the show, syncing with the various acts and amplifying the overall experience.
Musical director Dannie Bourne actually engaged local Singaporean musicians from recommendations via his extensive network in Australia and around the world. Eric Hargrove has played drums with James Brown, Christy Smith is an internationally famous jazz bassist and Sebastian Ho is the most highly regarded guitarist in Singapore. They are all brilliant musicians, lovely people and true professionals who have been able to rehearse the music and the show within a week.
Show emcee Bernie Dieter on stage: La Clique has always been a platform for new and emerging stars of the cabaret and variety world and Bernie Dieter is a star in her own right. She has played in her own shows like Berlin Underground and Little Death Club in London, Edinburgh, all over Australia and beyond. She is a new international superstar and has appeared in my venue, The Famous Spiegeltent, in various guises since 2013. She is a fabulous cabaret singer, star in the making and La Clique is very lucky to have her in the cast at this point in her career.
Bernie has cemented herself as a standout cabaret artists of her generation, a cross between Lady Gaga, Marlene Dietrich and Frank-N-Futer in sequins. Bernie is a one of kind performer who has performed for sold out audiences around the world, and headlines BBC’s TV show “Live at the Electric”, appeared on ABC Australia and NBC to name a few.
Trapeze performer Elke on stage during rehearsal: There is always some danger with aerial acts but it’s a calculated risk. Elke trains hard so that she is as safe as she can be in the air. Of course, she is not a technical aerialist but performs skills that transform to aerial ballet when seen in the context of a performance with music and lights.
Elke started training when she was eight years old and started working professionally six years ago. One of her first professional contracts was with La Clique in Edinburgh. Every single act in the show brings something completely unique and different to the table. Because they are so different, every single moment or act associated with these performers is considered a highlight.
The La Clique Singapore Show will be running from 22 September 2021 to 7 November 2021 with tickets being available for purchase here. Show and dine packages are also available where ticket holders can opt to dine at four participating signature restaurants who have prepared specially curated menus.
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