London’s most infamous party and performance makers Shotgun Carousel are making a glamorous return to the stage after the pandemic-induced cancellation of their highly anticipated Christmas show. Like a phoenix from the ashes, or a daffodil from frosty ground, The Grotteaux is back with an incredible line up of guest artists ready to serve a delectable night of cabaret and circus delights. Expect an evening of variety performances full to the brim with burlesque bombshells, jaw-dropping drag acts and breath-taking circus spectacles, bursting into an abundance of springtime revelry at the award-winning new venue Woolwich Works.

 

Each evening, Shotgun Carousel and their House Band will be joined by an ever-changing array of internationally renowned guest performers, including Miss Burlesque UK 2019 winner Evelyn Carnate. ‘The Shapeshifting Showgirl’ will bring her playful, powerful and fabulously unpredictable neo-burlesque performance to the Woolwich Works stage. She’ll be joined by comedian and writer Shaparak Khorsandi, who has appeared on countless television and radio shows including Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You, QI, Just a Minute and other flagship Radio 4 programmes, will bring much-needed laughs. Magician Billy Kidd, who has graced theatres and television screens worldwide, as seen in ITV’s Game of Talents, The Next Great Magician and acting as the host on Discovery Channel’s Breaking Magic, will have us wondering how her incredible illusions are possible.

 

The Grotteuax will also host New Yorker and award-winning comedian Desiree Burch, who has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, QI and 8 Out of 10 Cats along with Drag King John Travulva “the queer Glaswegian comic of your dreams”. He is joined by Kemah Bob who aims to spread love, light and warmth with their comedy, using entertainment as a tool for enlightenment and empowerment.

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Critically-acclaimed cabaret chameleon Coco Deville will showcase her innovative twist on burlesque, fusing body positivity, dynamic dancing and coquettish clowning. MisSa is an internationally recognised sword swallower, singer, poet and exhibited artist; voted most influential performer in Europe in 2018. Also making a guest appearance is multi award- nominated comedian Suzi Ruffell who has had five sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

 

Drag queen Asia Thorne, a regular with the likes of The Bitten Peach, will come up with intriguing new ways to entertain and delight audiences. Kaajel Patel is a trained Bollywood dancer infamous on the London Cabaret circuit. Paul Caroll, who hails from County Wexford, Ireland, will bring the luck of the Irish to the Grotteaux with his character comedy set. Yshee Black is known in Birmingham for hosting the lip-sync competition The Church of Yshee and as one-fifth of the interactive drag story time theatre collective Fantabulosa.

 

Internationally-renowned comedy and cabaret artiste Marcel Lucont will join the party with his deadpan style, louche poetry and wry observations. Fancy Chance will dazzle with her tassel twirling, drag kinging and clowning craziness. Founder and curator of The Cocoa Butter Club, Sadie Sinner performs a seamless repertoire bursting with the RnB, Blues, Jazz, Motown, Funk and Neo-soul that raised her. Boylesque and drag king sensation, and part of the incredible Pan Asian Cabaret Collective, Sigi Moonlight has performed all over from clowning around at Glastonbury to bringing inflatable penis fights to Shakespeare’s Globe. Soroya Marchelle is not only London’s Lipsync assassin but Mother of the POC group Haus Of Melanin and the creative producer behind London’s new drag contest The Next Drag Superstar!

 

Having delighted crowds with her fearless and vivacious personality, Sikisa’s comedy chops landed her a spot as a finalist of BBC New Comedy Award 2017 and a nomination for Best Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival 2022. She transforms into Onyx Fatale, winner of Burlesque Idol 2018, to give you dazzling burlesque. Shakona Fire just keeps getting hotter; having performed with The Cocoa Butter Club, RVT, Mighty Hoopla, The Glory and David Hoyle, this award winning shapeshifter and story teller brings the heat.

 

The Glamourists also come to play, an amazing duo who create unique dreamlike illusions in a sophisticated and theatrical style. That’s not all, as Demi Noire, the soul sista of burlesque, ranked No. 15 most influential burlesque artist worldwide and No. 1 in the UK in 21st Century Burlesque Magazine 2020, will take on a guest slot. Tito Bone, the blind non-binary bisexual drag king, joins the family from their company Quiplash, the disabled cabaret and drag collective.

 

Expect a knockout evening when Me The Drag Queen takes to the stage. Having performed worldwide, this notorious narcissist, glamour clown and Professional Idiot is a master of lip sync. Last, but most certainly not least, is Prinx Silver – a Spanish drag king sensation known for their dramatic faces, political messages, and for getting naked on stage!

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Shotgun Carousel’s Springtime extravaganza at Woolwich Works will be hosted by the jaw- dropping Lilly Snatchdragon. Lilly will be joined by burlesque star Cleopantha (as seen in The Man in the Mirror: A Michael Jackson Biopic), Mark Anthony (winner, Mr Boylesque UK 2019; Queeriosity Cabaret), Len Blanco (Divine Proportions, Shotgun Carousel), Isobella Burnham (debut EP, Dancin’ Garuda, May 2021), Dosa Cat (Southbank Centre) and Symoné (Wonderville, Palace Theatre) .

 

From the creative team behind the sell-outs Divine Proportions and Red Palace, The Grotteaux fuses an old school variety format with fresh exciting performance, putting a contemporary twist on classic seasonal themes; rebirth, renewal, second chances and change. High-brow meets low-brow, opulent West End meets East London dive bar; The Grotteaux is a place where all walks of life can come, be entertained, eat, drink (with or without alcohol!) and let their troubles melt away, leaving revitalised, rejuvenated and refreshed!

 

Writer and director Molly Beth Morossa comments, After the cold and dark of the winter (and the disappointment of postponing our gorgeous Christmas show), we'll be bursting back onto the Woolwich Works stage to blow away the cobwebs, and celebrate the little things, and large things, with a joyous, yet timely reminder that life is short, and very precious. I hope that audiences take away a feeling of empowerment to seize the day, as we just don't know what's around the corner. We are creating a vision of Springtime brought to life by an outstanding cast to bring you a vibrant, contemporary and ground-breaking new cabaret extravaganza!