Do you love pop music? Do you love to dance? Do you love to see the sassiest, most flamboyant of performers in town strutting their stuff?
On the stage, brightly dressed women sporting large, sparkly unicorn horns on their forehead, parade in front of the audience
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then dust off your sparkly catsuit, find your festival glitter and get yourself down to Guilty Pleasures at Brighton’s one and only Spiegeltent for their next night of fabulousness! Yes, the unbeatable favourite for a night out at the Fringe, where the atmosphere is infectious, the drinks are… alcoholic and the smell of the triple-cooked chips from the nearest food stand is enough to make your mouth water.
The appropriately named Guilty Pleasures takes place in the largest of Spiegeltent’s arenas, just to the right of the main entrance. It is surrounded by picnic tables, a huge cocktail bar on wheels and a glitter booth, because, you know, you can never have too much glitter. When you get your ticket checked, you are given a bright orange wristband which allows you to come and go as you please without having to worry about losing your ticket. Great for peace of mind, especially a few beers in, and allows you to browse the SpiegelPub, take a deckchair at the teepee and nip out to use the bathrooms.
The official Brighton home of Guilty Pleasures is a European mirror style tent, surrounded by stained glass ‘windows’ and mirror cladded pillars: the “ultimate cabaret and music salon”. Round the outside of the central dance floor is a raised level where groups are chatting in-between dancing. The bar is understandably busy, I spent about 20 minutes waiting to be served which wasn’t too bad, considering.
On the stage, brightly dressed women sporting large, sparkly unicorn horns on their forehead (this is Brighton Fringe after all), parade in front of the audience as the pop tunes play, featuring: Bon Jovi, S Club 7, t.A.T.u. and obviously a bit of - Oops!...I Did It Again - Britney Spears. The lyrics for every hit were projected behind the stage, as if you needed those lyrics anyway.
The evening spirals on in a blur of high kicks, higher heels, sequins and a ridiculous amount of confetti. By about 1am, when Guilty Pleasures draws to a close, you’ll be leaving with your shoes swung over your shoulder, lipstick all over your face and if you’re lucky, perhaps a new pair of nipple tassels.
