Cab Suave by name, and suave by nature. Cab Suave is a wonderful meld of slick circus tricks set in the middle of a film noir script. The show is sleek and moves at a good pace, with a loose story to string together the relatively well-executed routines.

Private Investigator Dick Johnson, played by Jack Wilde, narrates the show. He holds a very convincing accent throughout and delivers a solid performance as our narrator. Not only does he act as our suave host, he also features in two routines – juggling and a ladder routine. Both were rather well-performed to a very encouraging crowd, but there were a few opening night jitters that caused a few false starts. Nonetheless, his demeanour and positive energy kept the routines moving.

Jack Wilde’s script tells the story of Private Investigator Dick Johnson as he tries to dig up the dirt on Cabaret Suave and shut them down. As the story unfolds we meet the personalities that grace Cabaret Suave, and each presents us with impressive routines. 

We first meet Ember (Winter Cyan) who performs an impressive Cyr Wheel routine and later a mesmerising fire routine. Their performance with the Cyr Wheel was elegant and smooth and beautifully executed. The heat from the burning batons and apparatus during the fire routine could be felt from several rows back, so you can only begin to imagine how hot it would be up close. This routine was mesmerising as Winter made the batons dance, hypnotising you with the movement of the flames.

Baby (Abby Kelso) gave a beautiful silks routine. Their technique was faultless as they wove, climbed, tumbled and dropped through this breathtaking routine. Abby also performed later on in the performance a wonderful hoop routine with fellow character, Mal.

Mal's (Latonya Wigginton) swing routine was captivating. The routine looked completely effortless, even though there has obviously been years of training to gain the skills required to master this apparatus. Latonya’s hoop routine with Abby showed great unity between the two, performing in synchronisation.

Rounding out the cast is Trance (Laney Mejias), whose voice was sublime to listen to. Laney has this captivating sultry and smokey tone that pulls you right into the world of Cab Suave. The numbers she performed, early jazz-style covers of contemporary songs akin to Postmodern Jukebox's style, fit the vibe of the show perfectly. Laney has a wonderful ability to not draw attention away from the other artists' routines when her singing is there to accompany the act, however, when it is a solo moment, she gives a very captivating performance that draws you right in.

The venue at Ukiyo is perfect for this show – small and intimate. The audience does sit in the round, and at times those on the edges may miss some of the delivery of dialogue as it is always played to the front. The tech team are to be commended as well for great execution of lighting cues and a good balance between the pre recorded music and live vocals.

Cab Suave is a fun, sultry and captivating show. It is a wonderful melting pot of Chicago The Musical, circus and film noir. Well worth adding to your Fringe show list for 2023.