Elegant, bubbly, explosive and intoxicating

Blanc de Blanc is a very special kind of champagne, made only from white grapes. It is considered the zenith of champagnes; the most sublime, the most indulgent. If you taste it, you will invariably want more. And so it is with Blanc de Blanc Encore, the elegant, sophisticated yet devilishly saucy show from Strut & Fret.  Audiences tasted the original Blanc de Blanc then cried out “Encore”!

“It’s like drinking champagne,” says creator/director Scott Maidment. “The first few sips, you feel really smooth, but once you’ve done a bottle you get a bit giddy and a little bit crazy and you know, the party really kicks in.”

Conceived and birthed by Maidment in 2015, Blanc de Blanc was an immediate sensation when it debuted at the Sydney Opera House. It had the same reception in 2019 when it returned as Encore. Now it’s back with a vengeance and a venue all its own.

“We’ve set up this new venue, the Grand Electric, to house the atmosphere – like the energy of a Spiegeltent but in a better more enclosed venue, an intimate theatre space,” explains Maidment.

The Grand Electric is actually an old railways union hall that then functioned as a theatre for 50 years. It has been completely refurbished and customised for Blanc de Blanc: mezzanine levels, mirrors, aerial points and other bespoke fixtures, topped off with vintage chic.

The show itself is difficult to describe, but Maidment tries:

“It’s basically how I would describe a perfect night out, where you think that you’re going along for some sophisticated fun, and then it slowly devolves into a kind of a night of craziness.”

There’s dance, there’s circus, there’s comedy, burlesque, it’s classy, it’s decadent, all at once. The troupe of local and international performers features: Felix Pouliot from Canada and aerial duo Spencer Craig (Canada) and Caitlin Tomson-Moylan (USA); Remi Martin (Germany/France); and introducing Rechelle Mansour, Melanie Hawkins from Australia; New Zealand’s Emma Phillips and Léah Wolff from Canada.

The show is a mix of old and new, with some performers returning and others appearing for the first time.  They are all among the absolute elite in the world. Maidment highlights a few.

“There’s an amazing foot juggler who’s new to the show; her name is Emma Phillips. She’s from New Zealand but she spent two years of her life as the only English-speaking white person in a tiny Chinese village, learning this amazing art of foot juggling. She picks up a table on her feet, and spins it around and balances it on one leg. It really is gobsmacking. She’s one of the only people in the world who does this.”

Remi Martin is a Chinese pole artist.

“And he’s famous for winning France Has Got Talent, Italy’s Got Talent, Romania’s Got Talent – he’s won like five different one’s of those “Got Talent” shows,” says Maidment. “He also does an act where the musical instrument that he uses is actually a part of his anatomy – it really is something that needs to be seen and all will be revealed.”

Spencer Craig and his aerial partner Caitlin Tomson-Moylan have been with the show since the beginning.

Craig is really looking forward to being in the Grand Electric for the first time.

“A lot of these big tents you go into in these big shows, we don’t really see the audience too much. The interaction is fairly minimal. But with Blanc de Blanc Encore, the shows are really performed around you…we’re in the audience and we’re with the people,” says Craig.

He much prefers an intimate space where performers can feed off the energy of the audience. In some spaces they can clearly see people’s expressions and even hear conversations.

“Blance de Blanc is a lot more of a cabaret than just a circus show, but a lot of the circus in Blanc de Blanc has performers who have been with Cirque du Soleil, who have been with all different companies all over the world, so you’re still getting great high level circus but with everything else that comes with cabaret, which is a lot of humour – a lot of adult humour!” says Craig.

The more the audience is prepared to interact with the performers the better the energy and atmosphere in the room.

“I’ve got to say, Aussies are very good at not being too shy. Out of all the audiences I’ve performed for, Aussies are very brave and they’re willing to join us on stage,” says Craig.  “So it’s really nice to come back to Australia because everyone is willing to participate…and it’s more fun if you’re willing to play with us.”

To that end, Maidment suggests attendees make a bit of effort with their attire.

“We always encourage people to make a night out of it…you don’t have to dress like you’re going to the opera, but a little touch of sparkle and glamour always elevates the evening.”

January 7 – March 4, 2023

The Grand Electric, Theatre No1, 199 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills

 blancshow.com