‘Fashion’s enfant terrible’ Jean Paul Gaultier has created a marvel of a show like no other. The Fashion Freakshow is an explosive celebration of music and fashion that will have you laughing, dancing and crying in your seats.
Taking place at London’s Roundhouse until the 28th August, the production takes you through Jean Paul’s life and experience of 50 years of pop culture.
Named ‘Fashion’s enfant terrible’, Jean Paul has retained an expressive attitude to fashion and has never shied away from scandal – renowned for his provocative catwalk shows, creating Madonna’s iconic cone bra in 1990 and parading Naomi Campbell topless in 2002.
Much like Jean Paul’s queer approach to fashion, the show is eccentric, sexy, scandalous, funny, sassy and certainly unpredictable, featuring carnival-style, strip-tease and catwalk performances. Actors, dancers and circus artists take to the stage to play larger-than-life personalities in an explosion of colour to dive into the fashion icon’s creative mind – including crazy costumes, dancing teddy bears, nudity and Anna Wintour impersonations.
Performed like an unmissable party, Fashion Freak Show has an explosive playlist of hits that have inspired the artist throughout his life with tracks and live performances of disco and funk to pop and punk rock.
As author, director and costume designer, Jean Paul collaborated with actress, scriptwriter and director Tonie Marshall, who co-directs the show, and choreographer Marion Motin – known for her work with Madonna, Stromae and Christine and the Queens.
The production first premiered with an acclaimed run in Paris in 2019 at the legendary Folies Bergère and since has been updated and reimagined to be staged in London.
Set against the backdrop of a giant video wall, a key part of the production features clips of special guest stars including a number of Gaultier’s long-term, iconic supporters and friends such as Rossy de Palma and Catherine Deneuve.
Don’t just take our word for it, here is what celebs have to say about the show:
Tickets are available here until the 28th August.
Words by Emily Hemsley
Header image: @jpgfashionfreakshow
