This is no ordinary cabaret. Outlandish hair, sparkling false eyelashes, and earrings that wouldn't look amiss on Pat Butcher begin the show, to be joined later by a gimp mask and a loudhailer. Liza Minelli this isn't.Bourgeois and Maurice met each other in dark times...... but now they're here to help you instead. And they certainly provide much amusement and laughter during their hour long performance, gaining a standing ovation from some members of the audience at the end. We are warned at the beginning: Please don't think of this as a show; it's not designed to be fun for everyone and it certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea. But the performances are so assured, the comic timing so perfect, that it is impossible not to admire them and be curious about what on earth is going to happen nextBourgeois is the host for the night and is the master of an acid tongue, a superb dry, cynical tone, and a speaking voice that you could listen to all night. Maurice, the pianist of the duo, tends to communicate merely through her expressive eyes as she doesn't normally talk beyond the odd monosyllable. This cabaret relies on such extreme characterisation and does it very well indeed. The banter between songs is very well thought out and executed flawlessly, and the sections that require some interaction with the audience show fantastic spontaneity. Their songs are deliciously comic and show surprising depth as well, with a very subtle shift in tone taking place near the end of the show. Clearly Bourgeois's seven years of training at cabaret school have paid off; his voice is rich and resonant, with very good diction. My particular favourite was With You, I'm Addicted alongside the whole section on songs for children. However, almost all the songs finish rather abruptly rather than building to a climax which does cause some jarring and a small sense of dissatisfaction. In addition to this, the staging is a little messy at times. This is a shame because the rest of the performance side is very well executed.Bourgeois and Maurice are definitely an act to watch in the future. They have lots of potential together and the show is highly enjoyable. With time I expect their performances will become even more polished and, come next year's Fringe, they will be flying even higher.
