The all-male French comedy troupe Chicos Mambo bring their fast-paced show Tutu to Sadler's Wells East, offering a cheeky tribute to ballet that mixes parody with pointework. Directed by Philippe Lafeuille, the production has been delighting audiences for over a decade with its camp, crowd-pleasing humour.
The costumes are a highlight: puffy flamingo-coloured tutu trousers and hats resembling vegetables. Swan Lake's cygnets become daffy ducks in dumpy costumes, with a dash of disco added to Tchaikovsky. Other skits include a parody of Dirty Dancing, complete with the iconic lift, and a send-up of Pina Bausch's style.
Tutu is a study in contrasts, juxtaposing Bach's Goldberg Variations with the haka. Dancers hobble on pointe shoes for laughs, but Vincenzo Veneruso delivers a beautiful solo en pointe. In one scene, the six men appear as babies in nappies, tottering and nose-picking to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.
The show is tightly choreographed larking about, clever in parts and nonsense in others. While some may wonder if there's more to the joke, the audience – including a child in hysterics throughout – clearly enjoys the ride.
