SMASHED – The Nightcap is a hot sauce of salacious cabaret offering burlesque, striptease, aerial circus routines all backed by a live show band.
This is the Spiegeltent, and it’s like the student flat of the Young Ones, where the roller Disco room materialise in someone’s bedroom. In residency for the duration of Auckland Arts Festival 2025.
Part of this is the disorientating effect of stepping into a huge Bedouin marquee with mirror balls and polished wooden floors. Having just been sweating in the late afternoon sun of Aotea Square.
After some bubbles and cocktail chasers, the ideal place for the office crowd to unwind, belly-laugh, and enjoy the look but don’t touch entertainment spectacle.
Hosting, and being the ideal Madame who has curated this show from across the Tasman, Victoria Falconer pays tribute to the spectacular venue, also called the Hall of Mirrors.
Music is the best lubricant, she says. There is a great live band, all females save one. Handle everything from Rock’n’roll to Disco to Pop Diva’s. They extend out with Middle Eastern tones to Baltic club Jazz to klezmer.
At one stage three accordions hit the stage to play in unison. Starting to approach the swing of Cajun or Zydeco, bust mostly Folk of the old country
It’s a curious thing that the atmosphere is perfect for the release of tension. Scantily clad performers mingle with the guests.
Board shorts, cardigans, short shorts! Victoria notes the provincial Kiwi sartorial dress sense.
Tyna Williams makes her debut, decked out in sexy white tasselled bikini. Shakes her money-maker to These Boots Were Made for Walkin’.
Races over to the central raised plinth for the first aerial routine of the show. The music heavy with Latin rhythms then gets to lay down some funky bass.
Marla does the best manic Britney routine. With the high helium lift-off voice.
Nabs a young guy from the audience. His job is to feed her one marshmallow each time the backing song mentions woman. But the song is the classic American Woman originally by the Guess Who.
She manages to stuff down plenty as she swings one, two and four hoops, ending in at least a dozen as a finale.
Wierdo’s and Queerdo’s
Electra Shock is the most statuesque. Carries other performers as if they are a draped scarf. Performs an aerobic routine with elegance and a rippling muscular physique.
The local guest performer whose name I miss runs a quiz night. Time for the band to shine. No spoilers but there is the leader of the Blackhearts, the girl who just wants to have fun, and one with a heart of glass.
Everyone’s a winner tonight.
The Queen of Burlesque is dressed in big feathery pink. Describes herself as a nasty girl in a nasty world before breaking out with Do the Locomotion.
Those three squeeze-boxes are playing to Burning Down the House.
The most spectacular aerial routine is from Eva.
All the performers are back at the central plinth, and it may be Eva straddling an aerial plastic bottle of Moet as it spray sparkles
Smashed is a perfect nightcap of the sexy, playful and spectacular. Held in place by a great house band.
Rev. Orange Peel
Smashed is playing at the Spielgeltent in Auckland’s Aotea Square through 23 March.
Tickets are available HERE.
