Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Cabaret has to be one of my all-time favourite shows and it is always exciting when I get to return back to the Kit Kat Club.

This was my first time seeing a different cast from Fra Fee and Amy Lennox as the Emcee and Sally Bowles respectively and I was not disappointed in the slightest. This entire cast was amazing and I feel so lucky to have been able to see them perform.

This will be a shorter review as Cabaret is big on keeping the secrets of the Kit Kat Club so everyone gets an immersive experience but I will still mention any content warnings and write a general review.

My Review:

Firstly, Cabaret seats that are in the stalls and the nature of the stage mean that if you leave during the show you may not be able to enter for up to 30 minutes and may have to watch some of the show on a screen outside. Also, you should aim to arrive at the Kit Kat Club around an hour before the performance start time to get the full experience of the prologue show and amazing prologue company. The prologue company provide a dynamic and immersive experience from start to finish and the musicians are frankly out of this world, as a clarinet player myself I simply did not understand how the clarinet player, Andrew Linnie, had so much talent and was able to play lay down and still produce a clear sound. The interactions between all members of the prologue company are subtle, as are some of the moves used; but that subtlety and creativity of moves is what makes the prologue so unique and entertaining to watch. The fact that only shows like Cabaret and Moulin Rouge have prologue companies, for me personally justifies the obviously steep ticket prices as this level of immersion from the moment you enter the theatre is something that not all shows do or require, takes the show from an amazing show to an outstanding experience that I would highly recommend.

I was lucky enough to get to see some covers at my show so the Cabaret Girls featured Laura Delany (Rosie), Hícaro Nicolai (Lulu), Emily Benjamin (Frenchie), Ela Lisonadra (Texas), Sally Firth (Fritzie/Fraulein Kost), and Ying Ue Li (Helga). The Cabaret Boys featured Adam Taylor (Bobby), Charles Croysdill (Victor), Grant Neal (Herman/Max) and Matthew Gent (Hans). Other cast were Maude Apatow (Sally Bowles), Mason Alexander Park (Emcee), Nathan Ives-Moiba (Clifford Bradshaw), Michelle Bishop (Fraulein Schneider), Teddy Kempner (Herr Schultz), and Danny Mahoney (Ernst Ludwig).

The entire cast was phenomenal and it was watching a video of Mason Alexander Park's rendition of I Don't Care Much from a different Cabaret run that made me desperate to watch this cast before they left. Both their Money and I Don't Care Much renditions were absolutely incredible and a joy to watch live. Furthermore, I want to say hats off to Maude Apatow whose English accent is better than most English people. I would not have known she was not English had I not already been aware, her rendition of Cabaret showed Sally's fragility and the reaction to her life and world collapsing around her perfectly and Maude was able to convey so much to the audience simply through nuances in her tone and actions. Nathan's portrayal of Clifford Bradshaw perfectly showed Clifford's contradicting thoughts throughout the show and the way in which this portrayal addressed and dealt with issues in the show as they arose, such as the start of the war, was perfect for the character. It was amazing to see him transition from his light-hearted, happy rendition of Perfectly Marvellous to his demeanour in What Would You Do? and the Finale. Michelle Bishop and Teddy Kempner complimented each other perfectly as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, their It Couldn't Please Me More was stunning and I am so glad to have seen their interpretations of these characters.

I would definitely say that the interpretation of Two Ladies I saw at this performance was far more mature than previous versions I had seen based on both the visual content and costumes, some points did make me feel slightly uncomfortable just because of how mature it was and I would say that this scene specifically was definitely unsuitable for younger audience members.

This show is always a joy to attend and as I said earlier I cannot recommend enough that you go and see it if you are able to as it is an experience that I am sure you will not regret!

Content Warnings:

This show does not have any content warnings visible around the theatre which surprises me so I want to give you a little insight into what could be triggering during this show.

Themes and imagery of anti-semitism throughout.
Loud smash and blackout in Act 2
Strong sexual themes throughout
Minor gunshots but signalled the Emcee holding a gun
Discussions of abortion

Cabaret is a dark show that tackles difficult themes throughout the performance, as such I would not recommend this show for younger audiences. In the FAQs section of their website, it states that they recommend that children younger than 13 do not attend the Kit Kat Club.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer