There are few venues better suited to a night of unapologetically bold cabaret than the Phoenix Arts Club, and ‘Soho Electric’ feels completely at home within its intimate surroundings. Bringing together drag, burlesque, live music and variety performance, this is a gloriously eclectic celebration of cabaret with a distinctly rock-and-roll heartbeat.
At the centre of the evening is Vanity Von Glow, who proves to be the perfect host. She is charismatic, quick-witted and effortlessly comfortable working the room to establish an immediate, somewhat naughty connection with the audience, and manages to maintain it throughout. With a voice seemingly built for a rock ballad, Vanity brings genuine power to the musical numbers, combining the theatricality of cabaret with the energy of a rock gig.
The real pleasure of ‘Soho Electric’, however, lies in its variety. The evening welcomes an assortment of burlesque performers, musicians and variety artists onto the stage, ensuring that there is always something new around the corner. Be it striptease, fire breathing or aerial acrobatics, the acts are nicely curated, and rather than feeling like a disconnected collection of individual performances, the evening has a natural rhythm that keeps the energy moving.
Audience participation is also handled particularly well, with plenty of interaction without it becoming uncomfortable or feeling forced, creating the sense that everyone in the room is part of the rock experience. In a venue as intimate as the Phoenix Arts Club, that connection makes an enormous difference, and Vanity handles it well.
There is also something rather wonderful about seeing traditional cabaret sensibilities collide with the swagger of rock music, and ‘Soho Electric’ embraces both without taking itself too seriously, resulting in an evening that is playful, sexy, unpredictable and enormous fun.
With Vanity confidently steering proceedings, partnered up with Ruby Wednesday for alternate performances, and a talented collection of performers providing plenty of surprises, ‘Soho Electric’ delivers exactly the kind of vibrant night out its title promises. Loud, lively and wonderfully varied, this is cabaret with its amplifier firmly switched on.
If you want to be part of the fun, the show runs right through to July 2027, and tickets can be purchased at: https://phoenixartsclub.com/soho-electric
Reviewer: Alan Stuart Malin
Reviewed: 2nd October 2026
North West End UK Rating:
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