Cast Announced For Underbelly's LA CLIQUE at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Underbelly have announced the cast line up for fan favourite, critically acclaimed and genre-defining cabaret show, La Clique, as it returns to where it all began - at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Following a stellar run at this year's Underbelly Festival in London, the cast are making their way up to the iconic Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows. Tickets are on sale now at www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk.

Scotland's very own Miranda Menzies makes her La Clique debut this summer with her own unique style of aerial contortion and hair suspension.

Heading North in just two weeks, will be Cyr wheel performer Charlie Wheeller, fire and sword swallower Heather Holliday, aerial artist Hugo Desmarais, tension strap artist LJ Marles alongside physical comedienne J'aiMime and stunt unicycle performer Sam Goodburn as well as crowd favourites, the death-defying Skating Willers III.

Situated on the iconic Meadows (The Beauty), the production opens on August 5th and runs weekdays (6-8, 12-14, 19-21, 26-27) and weekends (9-11, 16-18, 23-27) presenting a night of the finest, funniest, phenomenal and awe-inspiring cabaret.

Born at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2004 and subsequently travelling the world to international acclaim, La Clique is widely regarded as THE original Spiegeltent cabaret show that created a genre of its own with its award winning and superlative family of circus, cabaret and music performers and its unique and irreverent atmosphere.

Press images of the La Clique cast are on this LINK HERE and images of Underbelly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's 144 shows are HERE.

CAST BIOS

Charlie Wheeller grew up in the port city of Southampton, and as a young man ventured to London to trained as a circus artist at the National Centre for Circus Arts. It was there that he met a lifelong partner in the Cyr Wheel. They haven't really stopped spinning together since, exploring the vibrant corners this world has to offer from the colourful parties in Sao Paulo, to the extraordinary landscapes of Australia. He co-founded Barely Methodical Troupe and continues to create an acrobatic language that speaks to audiences across the globe.

Heather Holliday is a New York City native, starting her career as a high school intern at the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. As a teenager, she held the title of being the Youngest Female Sword Swallower in the world. This vintage beauty has been seen eating and breathing fire and swallowing swords in music videos for 50 Cent and Rick Ross, television shows around the world, and hosting the MTV Iggy show on MTV. Most recently, she has been touring the world with award winning Strut & Fret productions Limbo and Limbo Unhinged.

Hugo Desmarais is a Canadian-born circus theatre artist, working internationally since 1998. Specialising in aerial hoop and loop strap Hugo has previously developed several acts around his own custom designed apparatus - the cage. After training at both Ecole de Cirque de Quebec (1997-2001) and Ecole National de Cirque de Montreal (2001-2004) Hugo began his professional career with Cirque EOS in Quebec before moving to Las Vegas as a cast member in Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity. Hugo was part of the original London cast of La Clique at London's Roundhouse in 2009 embarking on a multi-city world tour with La Soiree. Hugo is now a key fixture on London's cabaret scene, performing at venues including The Box, Proud Cabaret, Circus Restaurant, Soho Burlesque Club, Underbelly Festival and Park Chinois as well as appearing as a finalist on France Has Got Talent and recently joining Disney in Hong Kong.

J'aiMime the farcical comedienne from Brisbane, Australia, has been touring worldwide with the circus for over 15 years.  Highlights include Las Vegas, London, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and the South Pacific.  The sexy-awkward starlet has been a core member of Strut & Frets headline Spiegeltent show Blanc De Blanc which has toured the Sydney Opera House, London's West End, Adelaide Fringe festivals, Perth Fringe festivals, and had a residency in Las Vegas's Sahara Casino. She graduated from the National Institute of Circus Arts by performing at Mondial du Cirque De Demain in Paris, France.

LJ Marles began his circus journey at the age of 17 with Bassline Circus as part of a youth project with local teens. From there he continued his newly found passion at the National Centre for Circus Arts, where he specialised in aerial straps and then developed his own unique apparatus, Tension Straps. Lj went on to tour the world performing with companies such as 7 Fingers, Cirque du Soleil special events, Palazzo and his unique act has won him awards at world renowned festivals Young Stage and Cirque du Demain.

Mikael Bres graduated from school in Avignon, in the South of France, with a major in literature and art. He attended ESAC - the college of circus arts in Belgium and learnt to master the Chinese Pole as well as acrobatics, dance and theatre. Since leaving, Mikael has travelled the world with circus companies including Circle of Eleven and Cirque du Soleil and has worked with Underbelly on Limbo and Limbo Unhinged. Throughout his travels he has also taught himself to sing, beat box and play guitar and saxophone.

Miranda Menzies is from Scotland and has since become an international creative. Currently performing on London's West End, Miranda has a background in acting and physical theatre. She now performs her unique style of aerial contortion, specialising in the ancient art of Hair Suspension and will make her La Clique debut this summer.

Pierre and Stef - The Skating Willers III are the third generation of The Skating Willers, taking the reins from Wanda and Jean Pierre after astonishing audiences with their breath-taking acrobatic roller-skating since 1982, all to enormous international acclaim. With The Willers III, the act has evolved into a timeless mix of history created by the parents, grandparents and great uncles and the new generation adding their own stamp to The Willers family act. The Willers III have continued the quality, longevity, excitement and tradition. Truly unique and exhilarating world class performers, The Willers are simply extraordinary.

Sam Goodburn is variety, comedy and stunt performer who has a reputation for making riding a unicycle appear both effortless and frighteningly difficult. Nervous joy and authenticity are at the heart of every show Sam performs and you will not be able to watch one of his spectacular tricks without his infectious energy first making you feel like you have got to know him. Sam has recently been on Britain's Got Talent and made guest appearances in La Clique at Underbelly Festival. He's been praised as being "head and shoulders above the rest" by the Head of Glastonbury Theatre and Circus.

CREATIVE TEAM

Australian director, pianist and producer David Bates and his family have been touring The Famous Spiegeltent, an iconic antique Flemish mirror tent, around the world for 25 years. Creating a unique environment for countless artists of all genres and inspiring the new wave of cabaret variety epitomised by La Clique. This has resulted in numerous awards and industry recognition: the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment in the West End and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival Icon Award, as well as Green Room, Helpmann, Total Theatre, Herald Angel, Scotsman and Perrie awards, amongst many others.

For ticketing information, head to www.underbellyfestival.com and follow Underbelly on social media @underbellyfest

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