Le Gateau Chocolat mines the personal and the political in this cabaret-infused performance, which embraces an intersectional understanding of identities and powerfully presents a life in progress, without happy endings or narrative closure. The work draws from Le Gateau’s autobiography – while often artists use pseudonyms to hide their personal story, here it feels like the pseudonym and character provide entry into the performer’s authentic self, with snippets of reflections, top tips, and animated interludes which guide the story through a challenging life. In a year of BlackLivesMatter and increased recent media attention to gender expression, sexuality, and body policing, a show about any one of these issues would be relevant, but it’s the blending of the issues together which makes the real impact. The final revelation of mental health difficulties, challenges and the spectre of suicide adds an important and unexpected dynamic. Presented without hyperbole, Gateau uses his baritone to push forward the impact that accompanies such a serious story and such a serious consideration of these issues. (BL)
BLACK, Le Gateau Chocolat, 7-30 August, Assembly Hall. Please confirm accessibility with venue: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/le-gateau-chocolat-black
More on Le Gateau Chocolat: http://legateauchocolat.com/
Other artists working on intersectional identities: Selina Thompson (http://selinathompson.co.uk/), Season Butler (http://seasonbutler.com/), Scottee (http://www.scottee.co.uk/), Ria Hartley (http://riahartley.com/)
Readings on Intersectionality: https://kclintfemsoc.wordpress.com/reading-list/
Recent controversy on body shaming and opera: http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/operas-fat-shaming-controversy