Combining the Disney hit Mulan with Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, The Vaults have transformed their space into a raunchy French club. In this version, Mulan disguises themselves as a man to take their father’s place in the war against the Huns. Their General commandeers the Moulin Rouge, and in a turn of events, they become infatuated with one of the go-go girls, Ginger. Secrets are aplenty and Mulan’s cover cannot be blown as they defend the honour of the Mulan Rouge.
We began the evening in the bar, as Mulan (Ella Cumber) and “Sindy Sinclair” warm up the crowd and play a little game to find them a romantic match. We were then called into the dining hall by stage management staff, although this was well organised- this could have been slicker and incorporated into the show. The dining hall has a promenade stage and 4 large benches, the food is creative and caters for all. The portions are good and the spacing between courses is perfect.
The show celebrates gender fluidity and is, as is described in the programme “drag-tastic”. Christine Ting’s costumes were on point and the set was as good as can be for decking out the large space. Similar to any drag show, it is all incredibly tongue in cheek and it’s impossible to keep up with all of the euphemisms if that’s your kind of thing. The cast weren’t short of delivering lines that brought out belly laughs in the audience, and although immersive, there wasn’t a heavy reliance on the audience to participate in order to keep the show afloat. I would expect more musical numbers, as there were only a few lip-synced songs and dances, but it was overall an enjoyable evening.Without the dining experience, Mulan Rouge is not the strongest stand-alone show, but it is a buzzing night out in a fun and inclusive atmosphere.
Review by Hannah Storey
Rating: ★★★★
Seat: Immersive | Price of Ticket: £50
