Menier Chocolate Factory and Strut & Fret have announced the company for the world première of Sabrage, a brand-new theatrical experience combining circus and cabaret, opening at Lafayette, one of London’s leading live music venues. Directed by award-winning artistic innovator Scott Maidment, the production features Cherise Adams-Burnett, Flynn Miller, Kimberley Bargenquast, Skye Ladell, Remi Martin, Christian Nimri, Spencer Novich, and Emma Phillips. Sabrage opens on 26 March, with previews from 15 March, and is booking until 6 July 2025.
Sabrage—named after the ceremonial practice of opening a champagne bottle with a sabre—promises an extravagant evening of allure and seduction within an intimate venue. The actors will play multiple characters, weaving across the narrative in an ever-intensifying vision.
Hosted at Lafayette, a venue renowned for showcasing rising musical acts like Charli XCX, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Maggie Rogers, Dave, Olivia Dean, Beck, Becky Hill, Anne-Marie, and The Pretenders, this production offers audiences a unique live entertainment experience.
The world première of Sabrage is set to create a frisson of seduction in London’s King’s Cross. A place where eyes glimmer and the sensual and salacious combine on a wild ride of big moves, great tunes, and more than a few surprises. Sabrage offers heady top notes followed by rich textures, a smooth body, and an utterly unexpected finish. The acrobatic talent and finest cabaret from around the world are serving an intoxicating blend of vintage French glamour, high-end spectacle, and titillating acts to infatuate, illuminate, and inspire.
After touring 32 countries for the past 25 years, Strut & Fret, with its unique and world-renowned brand of opulent, cheeky, edge-of-your-seat theatre, is excited to join forces with the Olivier- and Tony Award-winning Menier Chocolate Factory, presenting a cast of international circus elites and theatrical misfits.
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Lafayette, in the heart of King’s Cross, opens its doors to this theatrical event for the first time, providing unparalleled intimacy, food-and-drink packages, and a unique backdrop to the show.
Guests will have the opportunity to purchase VIP access to the backstage hideaway—Nola’s Bar—an opulent speakeasy that channels the heady glamour of the Roaring Twenties. Tucked away like a well-kept secret, this hideaway fuses vintage elegance with a house-party spirit, where plush surroundings, handcrafted cocktails, and live music create an atmosphere of unbridled revelry. Nola’s promises a night of pure escapism, where the magic lingers long after the final bow.
Cherise Adams-Burnett is an award-winning jazz vocalist and musician. Her early music career stemmed from her involvement in roots organisation Tomorrow’s Warriors. Adams-Burnett later trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, graduating in 2017. She has performed at various prestigious events, including the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and the UK’s Love Supreme Jazz Festival.
Skye Ladell is a highly accomplished actress and dancer from Durban, South Africa. Her passion for the performing arts started at the young age of 3 in classical ballet and theatre arts. Ladell later trained in Los Angeles with coaches Anthony Meindl, Ivana Chubbuck, and Margie Haber. In her career, she has danced for renowned artists including Dua Lipa, Sam Smith, and Guy Sebastian, as well as performing in Strut & Fret’s production of Blanc de Blanc: Uncorked in Australia.
Remi Martin (yes, that’s his real name) is an acrobat, comedian, and director of circus shows, and a multi-award-winning performer, graduating from Berlin’s State School of Circus Arts where he specialised in the Chinese Pole. He has travelled the world as one half of his classic comedy duo double act with Spencer Novich—having performed at Wintergarten Variety Show, GOP Variety Theater, Chamäleon Theatre, La Clique, the Sziget Festival, and Cirque du Soleil.
Spencer Novich is a performer, creator, and director who continues his collaboration with Strut & Fret, having previously been a performer, creative consultant, comedy writer, director, and dub master. His work across circus has extended across the globe—including Berlin, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Sydney, and London.
Australian native Christian Nimri is a unique triple threat—aerialist, acrobat, and roller skater. Also accomplished at clowning, he’s toured across Australia and the UK, as well as being part of three resident shows at The Pink Flamingo.
Emma Phillips, another frequent collaborator with Strut & Fret, is a world-renowned circus artist. Honing her skills in two of the toughest acrobatic schools in China, Phillips became the only artist in the world to combine the delicate manipulation of Chinese parasols with the power juggling of a solid wooden table with her feet. She has performed in prestigious venues internationally, most notably with Circus Theatre Roncalli, Apollo Varieté, Palazzo, The Box, Big Apple Circus, and Circus Theatre Roncalli in New York.
Known for their unique style and breathtaking chemistry, Flynn Miller and Kimberley Bargenquast are a dynamic aerial duo who captivate audiences with their gravity-defying performances. With a shared passion for artistry, precision, and musicality, they seamlessly combine strength, elegance, and innovation to create visually stunning aerial acts that leave a lasting impression. At the age of 4, Flynn Miller’s desire to ‘wear tapping shoes’ set him on a performing arts trajectory that has seen him working for many international companies. Kimberley Bargenquast specialises in aerial acrobatics. With a strong athletic and artistic background, she brings a combination of strength, fluidity, and passion to her performances. Bargenquast’s body of work has included creating and performing four new shows for Cirque Eloize.
Scott Maidment directs. His collaborations include an artistic partnership with Madonna, following his artistic direction of the Rebel Heart World Tour in 2015. Maidment’s work combines unconventional entertainment, high-flying spectacle, nu-circus, extreme theatre, and dynamic music experiences. As Creative Director of Strut & Fret, his directorial credits include LIMBO, Cantina, Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Blanc Encore, Love Lust Lost, When Night Comes, The Party, Showtime at the Pink Flamingo, Boom Boom in the House of Casa Blah Blah, Fun House, The Secret Death of Salvador Dali, Tom Tom Crew, Dream Menagerie, Feasting on Flesh, Cantina, and The Happy Sideshow. He is one of the creative forces behind The Garden of Unearthly Delights, an annual spectacle at the Adelaide Fringe that this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. In 2024, Creative Director Scott Maidment was invited to direct the annual Ohlala circus show Milk & Chocolate in Zurich, resulting in an extended sold-out season.
