A good number of years ago, at least twenty, I found myself in Berlin because … cabaret.

I was in Europe studying Shakespeare production so cabaret in Berlin made perfect sense. Well, it does, doesn’t it? It’s certainly arguable that a degree of Shakespeare’s edgy commentary and a number of his quirky characters have embedded themselves in the culture of both circus and cabaret. I was surprised to find that, in Berlin at least, the level of ‘under the radar’ excitement generated by late ‘90’s cabaret, mirrored the wildly exotic experiences we read about taking place during Hitler’s heavily policed cabarets of the 1930s.

I loved what I experienced in Europe in the ’90’s and was interested to see whether the same level of outrageous fun and naughtiness still existed today. To this end I was thrilled to read that Auckland Arts Festival Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki 2025 had included a number of cabaret shows in its 2025 programming and that these would mostly be staged in the remarkable Speigeltent in Aotea Square.

Last evening I had the pleasure – and I use that word judiciously – of attending the opening night of Smashed – The Nightcap.

SMASHED – The Nightcap is a follow up to the award-winning SMASHED – The Brunch Party.

Sydney-based Victoria Falconer must be one of Australia’s busiest creatives working in cabaret, circus, musicals and theatre. Onstage, the multi-talented Falconer, the queen of late-night variety, leads a cast of six highly trained and super-skilled circus, burlesque, and drag performers all with the support of a magnificent four-piece, rock and roll band. If there’s a narrative, I couldn’t find it and I don’t care. Falconer as MC threads the show together with real panache – she’s engaging and inclusive and, like all the best performers, she knows how to pick her marks and does so wonderfully well. We love being made the centre of attention, our three minutes of fame, even in it means being made to look a tit on hundreds of risqué TikTok reels because, contrary to the usual practice, cameras are more than welcome here.

Forever in demand, Falconer is the real deal, and so is her show.

It’s outrageous, exciting, funny, and even a bit tacky, but always in the most tasteful way. Think Prosecco and marshmallows. The performers do things that will quite literally take your breath away. All this, and the Speigeltent too.

So, what’s a Speigeltent, where is it, and why?

A spiegeltent is what it says it is, it’s a ‘large travelling tent, constructed from wood and canvas and decorated with mirrors and stained glass, a glittering mirrored pavilion with a sumptuous interior of carved wood surfaces, parquet floor, bevelled mirrors, stained-glass windows, and sumptuous velvet canopies, a travelling dance hall and wine tasting marquee that’s been around since the late 19th century.  It used to be the number one attraction at Belgian funfairs and it feels like it should be well past its use-by date, except it’s not. It’s set up in Aotea Square, in fact it takes up most of it, and it’s absolutely magical. An audience of four hundred on day one left incredibly happy which certainly bears my opinion out.

SMASHED – The Nightcap is boisterous, and suitably anarchic, with more than a bit of circus, plenty of music including a small accordion orchestra, a smattering of classy drag, some intelligent aerial work … and marshmallows.

Did I mention marshmallows?

Described as the hottest cabaret troupe out of Australia, Nightcap is a ‘fast-and-frisky, saucy-as-hell, anything-goes circus-style cabaret performed by Falconer’s specially selected dream team of drag, burlesque, aerial and acrobatic stars.’ It’s debut night but with no noticeable nerves for the gorgeous (and very tall) Tynga Williams. She slots into the team as though she’s been there forever, and I predict an impressive future.

Karlee Misi is a Māori/Niuean artist, an iconic Polynesian burlesque and vogue femme ballroom performer, the mother of the vogue House of Luna, Miss Burlesque NSW 2022 and Miss Burlesque NSW 2022, Burlesque Hall of Fame Best Debut Vegas 2023, Sissy Ball Grand Prize Body 2023, and star of ‘The Empire Strips Back’ and ‘Yummy the Show’. That’s some CV. Karlee impresses with a striptease for the ages, a real star.

Drag queen Elektra Shock showed her chops with a flashy workout routine that astonished and her choice of Britney Spears ‘Work Bitch’, the lead single for her eighth studio album, Britney Jean (2013), as her accompaniment is a sublime choice, a real double happy. 

Eve Gordon is simply fabulous, as always, especially so when she’s in the air. Fantastic in every way.

Despite the excellence throughout, comedienne, fire twirler, and hoopist Malia Walsh really rocks my world from start to finish. She works the crowd brilliantly and in no time at all we are responsive, willing, and able – Nico especially – and the marshmallows take on a life of their own, becoming sticky characters in their own right. Walsh is awash with talent, timing, and smarts, and each of her sets is outstanding entertainment.

Overall, it’s terrific fun, loose enough to leave plenty of space for the possible, tight enough for all the comedy to work. This is Falconer’s masterpiece, and her prints are all over it. I could watch her all night, in fact that’s exactly what I did. No regrets.

The show ends with a splendid rendition of Coleman and Fields ‘Rhythm of Life’ from Sweet Charity. Falconer tells us at the start that she’s everyone’s ‘Daddy’, that ‘Daddy’ is a non-binary word, and so she becomes the ‘Big Daddy’ of Sweet Charity and the circle of life is complete.

Having local guests is pure genius, both artistically and from a commercial perspective as well. Big ups for that.

SMASHED – The Nightcap runs through to the closing of the Auckland Arts Festival on 23 March, so you’ve got time to book, and I suggest you do. SMASHED – The Nightcap will sell out, just like it did last night.

You really should go if you can.

You’ll love it.

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer