The Famous Spiegeltent – La Clique

Sometimes you have just got to have fun. Isn’t that what life is about?

It started with an ice-cream van.  As I pulled out my wallet to pay for ice-creams to treat my kids,  chided myself on not being frugal enough.  “Frugality,” my friends on Facebook soon reminded me, “is not about depriving yourself about having fun, but rather about being mindful about what you spend your money on.  Why not splurge occasionally on things you enjoy?”

Too true.  And actually, now that I go back to my favourite finance book The Richest Man in Babylon by CS Glason, Glason agrees that a successful savings plan is not about deprivation:

“Enjoy life while you are here. Do not overstrain or try to save too much. If one-tenth of all you earn is as much as you can comfortably keep, be content to keep this portion. Live otherwise according to your income and let not yourself get niggardly and afraid to spend. Life is good and life is rich with things worthwhile and things to enjoy.”

Life is indeed rich with things worthwhile and things to enjoy, and there are lots of things to enjoy that are fun.  Like performances at The Famous Spiegeltent’s three and a half week Canberra season, including headline act La Clique.

I was privileged to attend an opening night celebration last Thursday night.  A spiegeltent, I discovered, is a traditional Belgium performance tent.  This one, complete with stained glass windows and mirrored wood paneling, was built in the 1920s and is 96 yaers old.  It has seen many parties in its time.  Many performances, and has a certain risque feel of abandonment and frivolity. In short: just stepping inside feels fun, as if you have been transported into a different realm.

I went with a date, a very new date, and we both enjoyed listening to sexy jazz songs by The Shuffle Club band. “Come Fly With Me, Come Fly Let’s Fly Away,” they crooned as I imaged myself floating off away with the spiegeltent on an adventure.  Most were classics, but done well such as Hi De Ho, which I (and many others) couldn’t help but sign along to.  The band played throughout the party, and ended with the Spiegeltent classic “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” which was ever so romantic and will be forever etched in my memory, not least because as the lyrics said “I want to hold you so much” my handsome date and I drew closer.

After speeches came a sneak peak of some performances.  Felice (from Berlin), nymph like, table danced to a gentle piano serenade.  It was mesmerizing and beautiful, and doubtlessly technically difficult as well.  She was so beautiful to watch, and sexy in her own lithe, almost prepubescent and elegant way.

Then we got to preview Rémi Martin the pole dancer.  A male pole dancer. I wasn’t complaining about a man on a pole, and I guessed most women in the audience weren’t either.  Nor were the men.  He was powerful, and agile and had a very strong male interpretation of this art form that is most often associated with women.  Amazing.

This was not exactly as performed, but you get the idea.

The routines were interspersed with comedy, culminating with a juggling act that revolved around beer. I won’t spoil it for you but it was funny and also concerning enough for me to be worried about potentially spoiling my outfit.

It was a hot night and most of us were thirsty and made full use of the bar, including wines from the local Four Winds winery, which added to the merriment.  It felt riotous inside; best to leave your inhibitions at the door of The Famous Spiegeltent and just enjoy the ride. It wasn’t as crude as I had thought it might be, but still there is a fun sexy edge to the experience. I dare anyone to not feel at least a bit flirtatious.

So, life is for living, and if you are in Canberra and want to splurge on a fun night ought, go for the famous Spiegeltent and enjoy the experience while it is still on.  For details see the Canberra Theatre Centre’s website.