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Burlesque dancer Cherry Shakewell produces Pussy Galore, a 007 supper club satire

The end of October holds more than just Halloween shows in store for cabaret fans. Volupté is bringing back Pussy Galore, giving it a special three-day run to commemorate the release of Skyfall, the 23rd instalment of the James Bond franchise. Bond girl glamour and fine renditions of 007 theme songs are the order of the day, with a dash of 60s satire to honour the most extravagant antics of Britain’s favourite secret agent.

Armed with her usual irreverent panache, compère Gracie quickly involves the audience in the mayhem. The singer drafts volunteers through movie quizzes, flirts with boys and girls and launches into impromptu girlish choreographies, backed by a pair of Pussy Galore Go-Go Dancers. Her crisp voice is a recurring treat throughout the show, tackling tunes like Shirley Bassey’s Diamonds Are Forever and Adele’s Skyfall. Especially fetching is the clap-along she leads to Vodka from the musical Song of the Flame, her only non-007 number for the evening.

More musical malarkey follows with an over-the-top take on Thunderball by Tom Mones, an over-aged, over-tanned overt ode to Las Vegas’s favourite Welshman. As with Frank Sanazi, the other mock-crooner act by comedian Pete Cunningham, the skit thrives on no-holds-barred improprieties and musical parodies, like an Alzheimer’s-themed, Zimmer-frame-borne version of Delilah. Belgian belle Fatima Fatale channels the more exotic charms of the series into a graceful belly-dancing pageant of accomplished rhythm. Likewise, Pussy Galore wouldn’t be complete without the burlesque routine that inspired it: Goldfinger, by show producer Cherry Shakewell, combines showgirl glitz and elegant teases into a strutting tribute to the bombshells who give the agent so much trouble on and off the battlefield.

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Stirren and shaken: Abi Collins deploys her hoops of mass destruction

You don’t have to be a Bond geek to notice what’s missing in that mix: a good ol’ Cold War villain. Heavily disguised as Nadia Nickersoffalot, a KGB blonde thirsting after world domination (or a council flat and a EU passport), acrobat Abi Collins packs an arsenal of indecorous gags even more deadly than her hula hoops of mass destruction. Collins’s humour leaves no taboo untickled. Expect a chorus of moans from the public, as well as cheers at her dexterous exploits.

Funny and provocative in equal measures, Pussy Galore rewards whatever knowledge you have of the 007 films with a close-quarters set of attractions that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Adequately tailored to the intimate underground surroundings of Volupté, this supper club revue makes a delightfully tongue-in-cheek companion to the lounge’s three-course meals. Other recurrent artists in the bill include Chinese pole virtuoso Edd Muir, aerial burlesquer Roxy Velvet and drag ballerina Madame Galina, which are more than enough reason to keep an eye on upcoming dates, whether there’s a new Bond flick out or not.

Pussy Galore. Hosted by Gracie. Volupté, London EC4A 1EJ. 25 October, 20:00; 26-27 October, 23 and 30 November, 19:00 and 22:00. £15-63. www.volupte-lounge.com

 

Photo credits: Click Click Boom