Review by Steve Bennett

Extravagant outfits, six-inch stilettos and make-up just as deep and a bitchily superior wit; Bourgeois and Maurice tick all the boxes for camp cabaret success. It’s a genre that often requires no more innovation than look and attitude, so it comes as some relief to find that this vampish double-act have applied some invention to their songs, too.

Maurice is the stunning but shy female pianist, in towering beehive, earrings big enough to eat roast dinner off and eyelashes so glittery they would set of an airport metal detector. Bourgeois is the domineering rake-thin singer, with cheekbones you could shave parmesan on and a wardrobe that includes a lime-green frilly frock, shocking pink polka-dot body suit and a sparkly red leotard. The strong look on stage is matched with some impressive video graphics on screen.

Although rarely laugh-out-loud funny, an acid humour runs through their banter and songs such as If You Don’t Know What To Do With Your Life, Just Die and I’m Too Famous For You. As is de rigueur with a act such as this, some lasciviousness is directed at a heterosexual man in the audience, during the song With You, I’m Addicted – though it’s not designed to be too uncomfortable.

Musically, they are impressive, and both can belt out a tune. Many songs have strong hooks which they repeat hypnotically until they burrow into your head, such as the refrain about child-rearing Do You Like That Little Bit Of Ritalin We Gave You. But they’re not above a more maudlin ballad to shift the pace.

Comedically, they could do with a few more sharp lines to match their sharp attitude, but for an all-round package of glitzily sultry entertainment, they hit the spot.

Review date: 1 Sep 2009
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett