Review: OUPS at The Moulin Des Roches Cabaret

Life is a cabaret in Toulouse thanks to The Moulin des Roches Cabaret in the nearby village of Mauzac.

This brainchild of Stephen Louis opened its door in 1997 as a 169-seat dinner theatre in a small town of 1200 inhabitants 35 kilometers from Toulouse on the banks of the Garonne River. In 2015, a twin establishment opened in Saint Orens in the greater Toulouse area, this one seating 380. The signature of those two venues is to give the audience a modern and creative alternative to the traditional Parisian musichall review still seen in the most famous cabarets of the French capital, such as The Moulin Rouge and The Lido.

The show Oups (or "oops" in English) was conceived by the creative team of director choreographer Rodolphe VIAUD and artistic director Claude Brasselerie and is a sort of an Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Cabaret But Were Afraid to Ask!

After a very sexy opening number set to Rihanna's "Diamonds", involving jewels and swings, we are taken us to Tango Land with Grace Jones's "Libertango". Impeccably choreographed by Rodolph Viaud, with lots of visual effects such as legs suspended in the curtains and shadow actions, this section showcases the talent of dynamic and sensual Argentinian dancer and acrobat Tasha Petersen.

The third part of the show is a tribute to Serge Gainsbourg, whose legendary risqué repertoire matches the sexiness of the dancing absolutely without veering towards vulgarity. The opening and finale also include original music by Christophe Sens.

Standing out among the cast of ten are veteran breakdancer, perfecting his art since the age of 14, Nicolas Oniz, Elodie Venzal, of the James Carles Dance Company, Mylène Lemelle, from Bordeau, and Flavian Laigle, from Toulouse.

The other leading mail dancer is Gregory Barot, specialist of spectacular lifts. This talented team of dancers plus the lead singer Sabrina make the visit to the Moulin des Roches really worthwhile for anyone traveling to the southwest of France. This tasteful daring and innovative revue called Oups really needs to be discovered. Anyone who loves a cabaret with a modern twist and high quality entertainment will not be disappointed.

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