East London’s home of contemporary performance, Hoxton Hall, welcomes back the popular variety show Ms. Paolini’s Phantasmagoria Cabaret on Friday 28th February 2020.
Presented by performance artist, theatremaker and comedian Patrizia Paolini, Ms. Paolini’s Phantasmagoria Cabaret is a show notorious for its quirky wit and challenging political commentary.
Likened to the eccentric Cabaret Voltaire of the Dada movement, this particular instalment throws a curve ball in the form of Rose Biggin, artist, comedian and Miss Pole Dance UK finalist who uses wit, sex, history and fantasy in her work. Biggin also writes jokes for BBC Radio 4 including The Now Show and The News Quiz.
Joining the provocative and unconventional line-up is Phantasmagoria regular Julian Fox. A self-made writer and comedian, he has created five one-man shows, including A Slackers Opera which performed at the Barbican Centre and The Guardian’s Alternative Perrier Award nominated Rebranding Mr God. He has more recently created programmes for BBC Radio 4 and, for the last few years, has been focusing on writing songs about modern life.
Completing the lineup and ensuring the evening will not be short of local talent is Hackney jazz punk band The Sugar Snakes. Since the band formed in 2013, they’ve been making the rounds on the local circuit, performing in North London’s legendary live music venues the Fiddlers Elbow in Camden and 02 Academy in Islington.
Originally a standalone performance piece, Phantasmagoria was developed by Patrizia Paolini as a showcase for female comic performances and observations about identity in 2013. Since then the show’s structure has evolved to incorporate other artists of notable oddity to “build upon the cabaret style of the original work”. Speaking about what audiences should expect from the show in its fourth year at Hoxton Hall, Paolini said: “I’m bringing a pole dancer, comedian and an offbeat energetic punk band together in a Victorian music hall for a night that resists the showgirl strereotype contemporary cabaret has adopted. Ms Paolini’s Phantasmagoria Cabaret is the backdrop or stimulus for collective authorship, cross-disciplinary practice and political critique.”
Ms. Paolini will be joined by actors Buddleia Maslen, Nauen Park, and Kieron Jecchinis hosting and presenting several skits through the show.
