Madame Zingara’s at Battersea Power Station

Madame Zingara’s is, according to the press release, a fusion of cirque, burlesque and fine dining ‘specifically designed to mesmerise, thrill and enthrall’.

Such lofty ambitions tend to start alarm bells ringing in the minds of pebble-hearted cynics such as myself, so before we start I feel I should make one thing clear, I am all about value for money. Considering that I did not pay a single penny of the £75+ entrance fee, as I walk up to Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams, housed in a much vaunted Spiegel tent and set in the grounds of the looming Battersea Power Station, I feel it best to check in such ideals along with my jacket at the door

Having negotiated with the bearded lady at the entrance, and narrowly avoided being the stuffed gorilla’s next meal, we are in. Inside it is, aesthetically, astounding. The interior hits the perfect mix of the romantic, the alternative and the theatrical (as do the waiters for that matter). We are served our complimentary Granita cocktails, shown to our tables and seated. So far so good.

The show begins at eight and is sufficiently unobtrusive to ensure that you can enjoy the circus acts, the company you keep and the four course meal, without feeling that you are missing out on any one part of the whole experience.

Of course there is always something that demands your attention, in this case it is Stella and the Three Tonnes. Stella is a sequinned lady who looks like she weighs as much as her Three Tonnes (who are her backing singers, all of similar generous build). Together they provide the music and generally hold the whole thing together. Their performance and song choice during the main serving is exemplary and enough to warm even the coldest of hearts.

Unfortunately, given the scope of Madame Zingara’s ambition some things are bound to fall short. The starter of mushroom risotto ravioli, in what is essentially a single cream sauce, is cold, and I can only speak for the mains of beef medallions served with mole (chocolate and chilli sauce) and the lamb shank with garlic mash, which although more than palatable, are no better than your local gastropub’s fare.

The circus acts are all competent but in the main lacked the breathtaking, show-stopping capabilities that we have become so accustomed to with (dare I say it?) Cirque du Soleil; and at their worst are more reminiscent of Cottle’s circus on a rainy afternoon down by the seaside, which is not necessarily a bad thing….unless you paid £100 per ticket.

As Stella and her Three Tonnes wind up what is on balance a very enjoyable evening, we are all press-ganged by our waiters into dancing to a medley of office party favourites, and this time the waiters sit back and enjoy what is no doubt their favourite part of the show.

Even just three years ago Madame Zingara’s would have been a sensation, but here in London the times move very fast, and as much as people are prepared to charge us three figures for an evening’s entertainment, be that dinner, dance, theatre or all of them rolled into one, we should start to expect as much back.

Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams is showing for three months
Battersea Power Station
188 Kirtling Street
SW8 5BP