“Fabulousness in false lashes”: a review of Le Gateau Chocolat’s ‘Icons’

Le Gateau Chocolat is as moreish as his namesake. Entering the stage in a black, sequined, sparkly leotard with matching wide-brimmed, wedding-style hat and patent stilettos, he is an immediately striking and dynamic drag queen. His eye-catching look is only accentuated by his gold eye makeup, full beard, and false eyelashes that almost reach the roof of the Arts Centre. When he enters by “demurely” strutting on stage along to his exquisite rendition of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’, he absolutely has the audience ready to have their ‘Chocolat’ cake and eat it.

In an hour-long cabaret show, accompanied by a talented, live two-piece band, the Nigerian-born drag star takes the audience on an eclectic musical journey of the varied hit songs and musical icons that had shaped his life so far. Set in an endearing childhood bedroom of the 80s, with walls adorned by revered icons like Grace Jones and David Bowie, Le Gateau Chocolat works to achieve the difficult balance of showing the audience both his public and private personas through a multitude of pop, opera and rock songs.

He absolutely has the audience ready to have their ‘Chocolat’ cake and eat it

His ability to so seamlessly transition between the works of artists such as Kate Bush, Whitney Houston, Meatloaf and Pavarotti is aided by his gorgeous baritone, which is often also used for comedic purposes. We see such when he sings Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” in a way that parodies the original, high-pitched opening of the song, whilst still being an incredible musical feat.

There are other instances in the show when Le Gateau Chocolat reimagines songs for the purposes of his own storytelling, more noticeably with Wicked’s “For Good” and Grease’s “You’re The One That I Want” – where he makes the audience hear the popular songs as if for the first time. Le Gateau Chocolat sings the latter bathed in a melancholy, haunting blue light – a testament to the staging and lighting, just as much as his ability to turn the upbeat Olivia Newton-John singalong into a slower tempo ballad, about first love and loss.

“For Good”, a song which Le Gateau Chocolat tributes to a friend who took his own life, is a duet which he turns into a touching solo that gives the audience goose-bumps, at his ability to speak parts of the song as if directly from the heart, in lines such as “you’ll be with me, like a handprint on my heart”.

His ability to so seamlessly transition between the works of artists such as Kate Bush, Whitney Houston, Meatloaf and Pavarotti is aided by his gorgeous baritone

Despite these moments of reflection and sadness, Le Gateau Chocolat’s show still manages to feel more like a comedy as he leans into a more classic drag act. Whether it’s in his sassy dedication to a former-lover’s wedding with his take on “It Should’ve Been Me”, or a hilarious performance of Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” where he doesn’t quite specify what ‘that’ is, Le Gateau Chocolat nails all the essentials of a good drag show in his use of a multitude of wigs, hairspray and a smoke machine.

Utilising the Arts Centre’s disco ball as any self respecting drag queen would, the show ends with a beautiful rendition of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know”, in which Le Gateau Chocolat urges the audience to sing with him before ultimately deciding (correctly) that it’s better if he sings it solo.

Icons is a triumph in its ability to move from the profound, with statements such as “I am the hope and the dream of the slave”, to the entertaining superficiality of Le Gateau Chocolat ending the show in a blindingly sparkly, blue taffeta dress, urging the audience to buy his CD. It is decidedly this mixture of emotion which makes the show so remarkable and successful.