Saturday 27 August 2022.

Friday 26 August 2022. JEAN PAUL GAULTIER'S Fashion Freak Show will be returning to London this summer. The hit production, which was seen at the Southbank Centre in 2019, will run at the iconic north London space The Roundhouse from 15 July for a season until 28 August....I saw it at The Southbank. Gaultier said: "I'm so thrilled that my Fashion Freak Show will be returning to London to take up residence at the Roundhouse. After a two-year hiatus, I cannot think of a better place to celebrate the return of the show than my favourite city. London is dear to my heart and has always been a constant source of inspiration. "I have been coming here since my youth and have been greatly influenced by British music, theatre and cinema throughout my career from The Rocky Horror Show through Punk and New Wave – and I keep coming back. I hope that audiences will enjoy the show as much as I did creating it." Part revue, part fashion show, part choreographed narrative, the show has been updated and reimagined for the Roundhouse to be staged with a catwalk. This event will be more like a 1000 capacity of tiered seats per show rather than the usual 2000 plus. It looks like 52 performances was a bit ambitious , as many of the weekday shows have been half empty. Ticketmaster and other ticket outlets have been selling tickets for half price for the final fortnight. ------------------- For various reasons i have not got around to seeing this show, which has been on for a month already. Didn't pick an ideal show to choose as it started AN HOUR LATE due to technical problems. My chums on security told me this has happened a few times during the run, and one show even got cancelled at 8.30pm when everyone had already been waiting around for an hour. When you see the show you realise this sounds like a genuine reason as there are many moveable big screens and other moveable stage props that are moved non-stop throughout the show. The show was on for around 1 hour 45 mins over two sets of 45 mins and 60 mins. As expected , the gay community is out in force. Around 100 folks around tables on the floor by the 20 ft catwalk , and the rest in tiered seats. The show is pretty much based on JPG life from his childhood drawings and when he dreamed of having a show at Folies Bergere (which he did in 2018) then to his first Paris Fashion Show in 1976,then his first London Fashion Show in 1980, then video clips highlights of his fashion shows through his career. He certainly took inspiration from The Rocky Horror Show, and the punk and new romantic movements. Around 20 male and female performers, including plus size models. A lot of the video footage on the screens is in French ,with English subtitles. Great to see some old footage from when he guested on "Eurotrash" 1990s Channel 4 tv programme. A very visual show as lots of colourful fashion designs, including corsets and kilts. JPG iconic conical bra that Madonna wore on her "Blonde Ambition" tour features throughout. Lots of flesh on display including boobies and bare bums. A great soundtrack including Chic, Blondie, Grace Jones, Madoona, Prince, Frankie GTH etc. Anna Wintour features as a character who at first did not like JPG creations. Audience participation had a female strut her stuff on the catwalk. For the finale , JPG (now aged 70) is on the big screen thanking us with his infectious personality. All the crowd are up and dancing to "Le Freak" at the end of this very enjoyable show.

Posted 27th August 2022