Spielpalast Cabaret

Cabaret's rise on the Fringe has seen, ironically,a few of the old cabaret nights drop beneath the radar. The Bongo Club has retired its flagship, and the new trend sees individual artists making longer shows or groups twisting the variety format to longer narratives.

The story of Spielpalast - nasty corporate interests make hostile takeover bid on Weimar influenced roadshow - is little more than an excuse for some of the acts, and the weakest aspects of the night are those interludes that try to push the plot forward. More interestingly, the cast of characters are allowed to develop: the born-again show-girl, the eastern European vampire, the relaxed band-leader, the mildly insane MC. And some of their acts are superb: the group fan dance, which imitates the flight of birds, is a marvellous use of this vintage cliche, capturing the original spirit of glamorous teasing. They carry the eroticism lightly, and the hour zips past at a heady pace.

There's a smattering of novelty acts - a man singing upside - a strong showgirl song and dance chorus and a brave attempt to move variety beyond the standard series of unconnected acts. The lack of bite in the narrative - The Creative Martyrs are an example of how cabaret can be used to make a trenchant point - is the only weakness: fortunately, it does not detract from the solid quality of each turn.