Walking up to Victoria House at Bloomsbury Square in glitzy open-toed heels and a wrapped polka-dot white and navy knee-length dress, I am welcomed by a grand, beautiful neoclassical building.
On our way into the venue, we are given our tickets in the form of an aeroplane ticket from London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Stepping down into The London Cabaret Club, I am relieved to see that all guests made an effort to dress glamorously for the occasion.
Inside, a performer is singing beautifully on the stage while a host welcomes us for the night, signals the cloakroom facility (it’s £2 per item), and shows us to our seats. It would seem that the cocktail lounge is the waiting area before the big event in the ballroom.
As we had the Diamond ticket, we had our waiter serve us a refreshing raspberry Bellini cocktail alongside a bowl of crisps.
Then came the delightful canapés to share – six in total – and our joint favourite was the salmon and caviar. So far, so good – the entertainment would change hands, from one singer to the next with a toe-tapping performance from one West End performer.
The service was great, the atmosphere was lively, and me and my plus one were having a lovely time. Having finished off the raspberry Bellini, we had a look at the cocktail menu for an added buzz.
I went for Rock The Cradle (El Jimador tequila, blue curaçao, coconut cream, fresh lime juice and sugar syrup) for £18. And while the drink tasted punchy (just the way I like it), drinking from the swing-like holder was a bit difficult, so it seemed the drink was more for show than for enjoying a good cocktail.
My plus one went for the laugh-out-loud “Screwing The Milkman”, also £18, which again came in a milk carton-looking cup that highlighted form over substance. While the cocktails look fun, and do taste good, they are a bit gimmicky for my liking.
Having joyously spent an hour in the cocktail lounge (doors open at 6.30pm, pre-entertainment starts at 6.30pm, and the ballroom doors open at 7.30pm), now it was time for the big show.
Disappointedly, the entertainers singing were the ones we had already seen in the pre-entertainment section, so it seemed a bit repetitive – especially when we were only given breadsticks and butter to munch on for half an hour.
When the starters did arrive at 8pm (we ordered lobster rolls with brioche, caviar and fennel), we were overjoyed, but then it was another hour until our mains were served (lukewarm, I must add), which really dampened the evening.
Having watched a number of renditions, spectacular acrobatics, toe-tapping routines and dancing regimes, it still didn’t distract from the fact that our dinner, which we were looking forward to, was a let-down.
As for the performances, the all-singing, all-dancing show is an interpretation of the world renowned musical, Chicago, where Roxie Hart’s perspective is the main theme.
However, if you haven’t seen the musical or the film for a long time (or ever), then you may not catch a storyline from the jazzy production.
While some performances truly are attention-grabbing, spectacular and fun, the whole evening feels as though it could have been condensed for a more riveting experience.
Then there was the after-show disco, back in the cocktail lounge, but by that time me and my plus one had our fill of entertainment for one night and were ready to go home, although some guests did seem to stay for the DJ set.
Roxie Rocks Chicago at The London Cabaret Club is on for a limited time only, ending on June 22, 2024.
