Want to hang out with all of London’s influencers, nepo babies and celebs? Head to the Box, London’s most exclusive and scandalous venue, where cabaret shows often feature nudity, sex acts and bodily fluids.
First: some context. Simon Hammerstein hit the scandalous jackpot with his New York club when it opened in 2007, combining flagrantly outrageous shows with high-rolling clientele and tales of behind-the-scenes controversy. Early in 2011, he opened the London branch. Enter, the Box Soho. So what can you expect?
For a start, you won't get in unless you have very deep pockets (table reservations are several thousand pounds) and/or know someone. If you do make it in, you'll see they've remodelled the place a treat, in a decadent-chocolate-box kind of way that seems to be to the taste of the mostly young, bougie clientele. The show is of a high technical standard, with mostly exclusive acts compered by mischievous MC. Some, especially the skills-based turns, are very strong; others tend to the titillating or have more production values than originality. The stand-out is the extraordinary Rose Wood, a transgendered performer whose pieces – generally heavy on nudity, violence and bodily fluids – bespeak a sophisticated, funny and deeply humane engagement with the context of the Box and the world beyond.