Le Gateau Chocolat: Musicals Mayhem – Soho Theatre

Le Gateau Chocolat: Musicals Mayhem continues at the Soho Theatre, London until 11 January 2025.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

There is no shortage of camp cabaret fun to be found in London at this time of year, but those in the know will always make a beeline for Le Gateau Chocolat. This unfathomably talented drag performer has been entertaining lucky audiences with outrageous comedy, touching pathos and a rich bass singing voice for some time now, and this latest show is a particular treat for us fans of musical theatre.

Those who have attended a Le Gateau Chocolat show before may well have heard him take on a musical theatre number or two. There is a deep love for the medium in his heart, a love on full display during this festive Soho Theatre run. The show begins dramatically with an overture mashup and frenetic lighting effects. Only once the excitement has been built up to giddy levels does the star appear: first barely visible through the haze, then stepping into the spotlight in all his finery, singing ‘Make Our Garden Grow’ from Leonard Bernstein’s Candide.

Le Gateau Chocolat’s voice is quite extraordinary, with venue-shaking depth and a wide vibrato. However, this isn’t about technical operatic perfection: it is a fun romp through the showtune-addled mind of its star. Stunning outfits and trunks of props litter the stage, and there is a winning casualness to the evening. In the era of RuPaul’s Drag Race, a lot of drag performance has been infected with a clinical sheen of impersonal slickness and professionalism. Le Gateau Chocolat is perfectly stunning and talented, of course, but the more relaxed atmosphere really helps to draw in his enthusiastic audience.

Charmingly, it almost feels as though were the audience not here and we were simply looking into this performer’s bedroom on any day, he would be having the exact same evening of trying on outfits and singing showtunes. There are tonal shifts from moving ballads to rip-roaring showstoppers to brilliant comic turns, sometimes in the space of one song. Highlights include the forceful title number from Cabaret, an affecting ‘Losing My Mind’ from Follies – interpolating the bonkers Liza Minnelli disco cover version for good measure – and a mashup of Africa and feline-referencing songs (Lion King-adjacent silliness with something of a political point buried in there too, complete with matching outfit).

This isn’t a show about high production values, but there are props, some quite stunning lighting effects, and even a puppet brought out for Sondheim’s ‘Send in the Clowns’ from A Little Night Music. By the time we get to huge Disney hits like ‘Part of Your World’ from The Little Mermaid and ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen, we are treated to full-on bubble and snow effects. Still, there remains a chaotic and ramshackle energy that Le Gateau handles with relatable humour and charm.

To ensure every member of the audience leaves on a high, the finale is a Grease singalong. I have always been too boring a human being to be a huge fan of either singalongs or Grease, but the spirit in the air is undeniable and is a perfect way to end such a fun evening. Your festive season can only be improved by catching this delightful hour of warm musical theatre joy. Treat yourself.

Ian Bowkett