Mario, Queen Of The Circus was one of the unforgettable acts from La Soirée's last London run.

Mario, Queen Of The Circus was one of the unforgettable acts from La Soirée’s last London run.

La Soirée is right now gearing up to hit London next month for the first time in three years. The last time the world-class cabaret showcase came to the capital, it was helmed by the unforgettable Mario, Queen Of The Circus aka American street performer Clark McFarlane.

His character’s OTT mock-European accent, randy antics and obsession for Queen singer Freddie Mercury belied McFarlane’s hard-earned big top talents. His La Soirée act saw him fling a multitude of silver balls in the air while singing along to Another One Bites The Dust, balance an audience member on his shoulders as he precariously wheeled around a small stage on a unicycle and bring whole tent to their feet so they could chant the words to We Are The Champions. His cropped, midriff-exposing bolero battle-jacket led one reviewer to say proclaim “if Fonzie was gay and proud, this could be his look.”

"Pont St Louis, Paris June 1998. Here we are within a year of starting to try our double act, but still a year away from naming ourselves Planet Banana. It is of note that this picture was taken just weeks after losing everything we owned in a truck fire. We had already replaced all our materials for the show except my costume (still the last thing I consider apparently). "

“Pont St Louis, Paris June 1998. Here we are within a year of starting to try our double act, but still a year away from naming ourselves Planet Banana. It is of note that this picture was taken just weeks after losing everything we owned in a truck fire. We had already replaced all our materials for the show except my costume (still the last thing I consider apparently). “

McFarlane’s life story is a fascinating one taking in the ups and down of his street performing career both in the United States and abroad. he talks about humble New Jersey beginnings, his schooling in New York and his first trips to Europe. There’s detail about how he built full theatre shows before salvaging a solo career out of a lifetime of experience. The final section covers the emergence of his “Mario, Queen of the Circus” shows and McFarlane’s reflections on a journey which has been filled with incredible obstacles, diversity and rewards.

Recorded in a hotel room while at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2013, this frank audio memoir comes from the excellent Busker Hall Of Fame website and we are gratefully reproducing it here with their permission.

Episode Notes:

All images (c) Clarke McFarlane

La Soirée officially opens in London on 5 November.