Countdown begins for final chance to see The Monocle by Rendez-Vous Dance in London
Attitude rated The Monocle five stars following it's previous performance at the Wilton’s Music Hall in 2024
By Aaron Sugg
Off the back of three UK tours culminating in early 2026, Rendez-Vous Dance are bringing The Monocle back to London for one final run this May.
The acclaimed cabaret and contemporary dance production returns to Wilton’s Music Hall from 15 to 16 May, with three performances across two days.
Inspired by Le Monocle, the real-life hidden lesbian nightclub that operated in 1930s Paris, the production sees a tight-knit cast conjure the glamour, secrecy and liberation of a historic queer space where women could gather freely.
“Feels deeply relevant and meaningful” – Rendez-Vous Dance founder Mathieu Geffré on The Monocle‘s final show at Wilton’s Music Hall
Created by Rendez-Vous Dance founder Mathieu Geffré, the show features seven performers blending dance, drama and cabaret energy to revive a forgotten chapter of parisian LGBTQ+ history.
Reflecting on the production’s return, Geffré said in a news release: “Bringing the final performances of The Monocle to Wilton’s Music Hall after a successful night at the same venue in 2024 feels deeply relevant and meaningful.”
“After three tours and such a generous response from audiences across the country, it feels like the right place to bring this journey to a close: intimate, relevant, charged, and full of memory,” they continued.
Beyond its theatrical flair, Geffré said the show also carries a political weight, drawing attention to the importance of safe spaces within the LGBTQ+ community.
What to expect from The Monocle production?
Its final stint follows a series of sold-out tours in 2023 and 2024, followed by a successful 2026 run. Attitude had the privilege of attending the spellbinding cabaret two years ago.
Attitude’s Jamie Tabberer wrote at the time: “At one juncture, the dancers engage in a chorus of guttural ‘vocalising’ to indicate sexual excitement and an oncoming orgy.”
“It somewhat consciously breaks a spell, but prompts such a wave of laughter in the audience, it’s worth it. Besides, it’s later compensated for with a depiction of group sex so gentle, moving and fundamentally erotic that ‘kindness is my kink’ suddenly becomes a very compelling concept.”
Attitude rated The Monocle five stars in 2024
He praised each performer for their individual flair, writing that “they’re more than the sum of their parts.” He also praised the production for blurring gender norms, reflecting the cabaret scene of the time, when female performers dressed masculinely to portray men.
Attitude rated The Monocle five stars following it’s previous performance at the Wilton’s Music Hall in 2024.
At a time when mainstream Parisian cabaret can sometimes overshadow its queer history with standardised, uniform portrayals of women, it is important for productions such as these to ensure its roots are not forgotten.
The Monocle‘s last hurrah at the Wilton’s Music Hall, London dates and times:
* 15 May: 7:30pm
* 16 May: 2pm
* 16 May: 7.30pm
For more information, please visit the official Rendez-Vous Dance website.