Review: Sabrage at Lafayette

Champagne, acrobatics, and cabaret combine to make a riotous and sexy night out in semi-immersive show Sabrage, which recently premiered at Lafayette in King's Cross.

Photo: Johan Persson

Sabrage, the latest show from Australian producers Strut & Fret and Southwark-based Menier Chocolate Factory, has opened its doors at Lafayette in King's Cross. Taking over a space that up until now has primarily been a music venue, it's a champagne-soaked evening of acrobatics, cabaret, comedy, singing and lip-syncing that treats its audience like extensions of the show's eight-strong cast.

Within Sabrage, champagne is a running theme. The show gets its name from the ceremonial technique of slicing off the top of a champagne bottle with a sabre - an act that fittingly opens the show - and presumably, there are crates of the stuff positioned backstage, given how much is sprayed, downed and decanted throughout the evening.

Photo: Johan Persson

Across two hours, the show offers guests the chance to witness some wonderfully choreographed numbers from both the ensemble and the likes of Skye Ladell, whose suggestive solo performance to 'Go F**k Yourself' by Two Feet has them silhouetted against a red backdrop. There are excellent musical performances from Rechelle Mansour peppered throughout and anxiety-inducing feats of acrobatics, including foot juggling from the incredibly skilled Emma Phillips, who balances and spins four parasols followed by a large wooden table on the soles of her feet.

Christian Nimri's sharp rollerskating routine transitions into an impressively high-speed aerial hoop sequence, while acrobatic duo Kimberley Bargenquast and Flynn Miller close out the show's final act with a duo straps performance that sees them hang onto and off each other as they rapidly spin above the audience. It's moments like these in which the intimacy provided by Lafayette's size comes into its own. With so little distance between the performers and the crowd, the skill and expertise on display from the entire cast can be taken in and appreciated all the more.

Photo: Roy J Baron

While Sabrage isn't billed as an immersive experience, it's structure and design lends itself to being semi-immersive, and there are plenty of moments in which the cast and the audience interact. The performers can often be seen under a spotlight leaning over Lafayette's balcony above the crowd, hanging off ladders and ledges amongst the tables, or sitting in the laps of audience members with next to no notice.

In between the main acts, the hosting duo of Remi Martin (the person, not the Cognac) and Spencer Novich offer up numerous moments of explicit humour and take great joy in roping in the audience as they weave around the space. There are grapes thrown from the venue's balcony into the mouths of audience members and the cast down below, some cringe-inducing impressions coaxed out of the audience by the duo, and during a show-stopping rendition of 'Non, je ne regrette rien' from a naked Martin, who uses his.. instrument... as an instrument behind a waist-high French flag, an audience member is called upon for help picking up and handing over microphones and lotions outside of Martin's limited grasp.

Photo: Johan Persson

There are also a couple of big set-piece moments in Sabrage that directly involve the crowd. An on-stage pillow fight quickly spills out into the stalls, with plumes of feathers flying everywhere as performers and audience wage cushioned war against each other, and later in the show Martin and Bargenquast, champagne bottles in hand, hang off the end of a rotating pole that spins over the crowd as bubbles fill the room. Audience member's empty champagne flutes are topped up by the pair from directly overhead, and in a moment that feels ripped from the opening of Babylon, one guest has champagne poured directly into their mouth from 10 feet in the air before Bargenquast spins away to top up more glasses.

Immersive elements aside, Sabrage is a wonderful show that'll likely leave you smiling ear to ear. With some great adult humour, provocative moments and impressive feats of acrobatics on display, it ticks all the boxes for a great night out. For those looking to scratch that immersive itch with a new piece of work, there are also plenty of fun interactions for both individuals and the wider audience to engage with that feel tailor-made to ensure everyone leaves happy. Raise a glass!

★★★★½

Photos: Johan Persson/Matt Crockett

---

Sabrage runs at Lafayette in King's Cross until 6th July 2025. Tickets are priced from £25.75 per person. For more info and to book tickets, visit sabrageshow.co.uk