"The best show I have ever seen, absolutely life changing" I saw Cabaret only 8 shows into the cast change of 2023, Rebecca Lucy Taylor (AKA Self Esteem) played a role that I consider to be one of the hardest in all of musical theatre, Sally Bowles. And she did it fantastically! The other cast member who changed was Jake Shears, who captured the pure essence of such a complex character, Emcee.
This innovative and world renowned production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club was created in the wonderful Playhouse Theatre. The Theatre was unrecognisable and had been redesigned and renovated with this specific production alone in mind. It starts immediately as you see the theatre. It has been given a complete makeover and it somehow cleverly remains infamous in the day and age of sharing everything on the internet. The exterior of the Theatre has been given the low-profile outside that mimics a Berlin club. Only a line outside lets you know it's open. After you climb down the stairs into the depths of the theatre in dark lighting through corridors, the walls are covered with photos and murals skilfully presented to elevate the apprehension and mystery. Once inside the club atmosphere is heightened by the multiple bustling bars and wonderful prologue company who were dancing and playing instruments. The actual auditorium had also been changed it is now ornately decorated with gold and most importantly a few rows of cabaret tables with lamps the surrounded the round stage. For any further images of the Kit Kat Club and it's cast please visit their website as I don't want to reveal to much of this elusive experience.
The creative and production teams of this show were incredible and elevated the poetical music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb to a level I could never have imagined. The teams working behind the scenes are some of the most important members of any production when it is broken down to it's bare bones they create the impactful visuals that leave such a lasting effect, particularly in this show. The wonderful director Rebecca Frecknall took this production of Cabaret to a new level of innovation and emotion. As well as this the choreographer Julia Cheng who ensured the dance within the club was sordid and entertaining burlesque. Then when the show moved to outside the club or into the Emcee's numbers they are more poignant and connect to the audience in an emotional manor. This production had so many working BTS that to mention them all and what they contributed would have to be an article in itself.
The beauty of Cabaret is that the real story is going on off stage and the characters you are watching a purely a reflection of the reactions of different people. As well as this because Cabaret is set in the Kit Kat Club you see the characters put on a performance and mask their true emotions, allowing this unusual perspective on the toxicity that begun to slowly seep into their perfect world despite every attempt to hide it, until all that's left of Sally is her belting the title number of 'Cabaret' nearly in tears with her smudged lipstick and still holding to the false ideal that all that her life is worth now is her job in the club as it's the only happiness that remains to be seen, despite it being a twisted sense of cheerfulness. That is the spectacle that is Cabaret where the characters are their to make you forget your own troubles as if you truly are the audience of a club in 1929/1930's Berlin, however some of the darkness of this entertainment is that the warped display of beauty and horror that characters are personally going through are what really aid in making the viewers troubles disappear.
I'm now going to cover some of the history of this unique show. Cabaret is set in Weimar Germany in Berlin between 1929-1930. You are watching the character reactions to the rise of Nazi power in Germany as well as the innocent reactions of many people. Many go along with it and fail to see the growing persecution of some, who are in the show represented by Herr Schultz and his fragile and beautiful relationship with Fraulein Schneider as it is the only subtle highlight of this oppression, for example with one of her lines of "I'm not fighting a war with anyone" as she realises that she will endanger herself by just being in love with Herr Schultz. We also see this damage in Cliff and Sally's desperation for money leading to them helping the Nazi party without questioning it. This wonderful show that allows audience to infer all context and watch it's consequences involves the audience in so many ways, this is part of the reason that this is now my favourite show and had such a profound influence on me and my view on musical theatre.
The characters in this musical represent many different people at the time the show is set. Herr Schultz is the persecuted and Jewish population, Fraulein Schneider is the population who are seeing through the salesmanship of the Political party as their loved ones are oppressed in secret. Sally and Cliff are the desperate people who need money just to survive and don't question ideals until much later as what they have to do is purely out of necessity. Then we come onto the most irrelevant character who ultimately is by far the most important, Emcee. He represents the soul of Berlin, he is 'the master of ceremonies" and leads us through the story in a particularly touching yet disfigured manor. Ultimately conveying the club's atmosphere and difference from the film's material and any other performance of this show. Emcee turns this lack of education onto the audience in 'If you could see her' a song that is highly offensive once the context is revealed at the very end, but only after the audience as a group have gone along with it and laughed and mocked the participants in this number. It's a show of endless layers that everyone will interpret very differently each time they listen to it or see this show, this is one of the many reasons that I highly recommend this show to everyone!
Each song could be an article of it's own but here I will detail each songs relevance, with some in more detail than others:
willkomen- introduces the atmosphere of the club and it's inhabitants, as well as setting up what it is like definitively at the start of the show. It shows the seedy nature of the club that is slightly uncomfortable ( an emotion that is one of the main aims of the show)
So what- we meet Fraulein Schneider and Cliff Bradshaw particularly in regards to the struggling finances of the country in general, as well a what people are willing to do just to stay alive. Cliff's motives for coming to Berlin are also introduced.
Don't tell mama- Sally has her first solo song and while being entertaining it has an element of grit to it as Sally is pushed to work in this club out of necessity, it also introduces an abnormal sense of unease as you hear about Sally's true feelings and emotions in parts of the song, as even at this point the cracks in the mask of her happiness are beginning to show.
Mein Herr- a classic song portrayed very differently but still incredibly impactfully. Almost an insight into what Sally wishes she could do to the unrespectable life she is forced to lead purely by circumstance and why she has to suffer by no fault of her own.
Perfectly marvellous- A beautiful insight into the acceptance and nuances of the romance between Sally and Cliff, her persuasive personality and Cliff's loving nature. For more detail their is a separate article on this song alone.
6. Two ladies- Emcee uses this comedic song to introduce the state of Berlin and what many people have to do to survive. As they 'all have one thing in common.'
7. It couldn't please me more- The relationship that has the whole audience rooting for them, Herr Schultz and Fraulein Schneider. Who through their adorable and innocent
relationship effectively demonstrate the true horrors going on in 1930's berlin later in the show and by having the audience truly care about their happiness it matters a lot more, this song establishes that care for them.
8. Tomorrow belongs to me- This seemingly innocent and uplifting title that actually leads into music that has the sound of a Nazi anthem that sounds as if it bringing people together but instead is the root of the problem that is tearing people apart and causing suffering.
9. Maybe this time- A song that perfectly shows Sally's past and her journey to show how she is now. In this production we see Sally have a conversation with Cliff that freezes leaving Cliff still with only Sally and her thoughts and the harsh blue lighting. As we see her pain and suffering and building stakes, that allows the audience to share in her dilemma and recklessness as a result of her confusion. That as an audience we know she has a history of and hope that she doesn't push Cliff away in the process of dealing with her sorrow.
10. Money- One of the best songs in this show with every lyric like poetry as it represents the money that is at the heart of this piece and Sally and Cliff's blindness to morals as well as the idea that money can buy happiness and an escape from the troubles that the characters face. Again it is uncomfortable with the leering accordion and circus like sounds, combined with the Emcee's mix of static poses and snapping back into dance that feel unnatural. All accompanied by the ensemble heckling and even screaming in the background. One of the best parts of this song is ' You go to get a word of advice from the fat little pastor. He will tell you to love evermore. But when hunger comes... at the window... See how love flies out the door' This wonderfully written part of this song shows that money allows for love despite that lack of truth in that statement.
11. Married- the characters clearly measure their suffering in an irregular fashion as when they both state that they are 'not a well man/woman' Herr Schultz states that they are alive. Also clearly the consequences of the imminent prosecution are leading to the two of them wanting to get married as if they are unified it will protect them from separation and grief.
12. Tomorrow belongs to me (reprise)- This then uses the separation of characters to make the audience feel shocked. The consequences of the politics are becoming even more apparent here, Herr Schultz (the only Jewish character) is shown to be silent and the only one not singing and standing off to the side while the other characters are singing proudly together united. Another moment that was incredibly impactful was Ernst Ludwig wearing a swastika proudly on his arm, this made the whole audience gasp and sit up as you never see them worn like that in a historical context let alone proudly it was very moving and troubling to watch this play out.
13. Kickline- A brilliant intro after the interval that brings back the club atmosphere and energy with dancing and audience participation from a lucky few at the cabaret tables.
14. If you could see her- Another impactful song that has the Emcee talk about his love as a joke for someone he brings on stage dressed as a monkey. After the audience has been in fits of laughter at the end it revealed that he is talking about the stereotypes of the Jewish population at the time, this shocks the audience as they had laughed and thought it was funny really aiding in this experience of trying to show what it was like for people in Berlin at the time who didn't know the horrors that they were perpetuating.
15. What would you do?- Fraulein Schneider is trying to come to terms with the difference of her struggles now in comparison to Sally and Cliff as she has so little and the only love and happiness she has is being taken away from her and the dilemma of whether she could survive by simply 'keeping still until the end' and ignoring it or doing something and suffering more so herself. Due to the established support from the audience for her character and relationship it really pulls on the heartstrings of the audience.
16. I don't care much- we see Sally and the Emcee distraught and the both of them for the first time the mask of showbiz is removed and we see their truths when they can't speak anymore so we have this inner monologue going on that shows a new separation that if they can't pretend to be happy then their is nothing left, creating this delicate and teary number that shows a new lack of emotion and an oblivion of not feeling as a coping mechanism as the club is all that is left of their perfect society that has been poisoned despite their attempts to stop it by outside and off stage politics.
17. Cabaret- Sally's final number that's introduction is very similar to the beginning representing her journey as she belts out her past and solidifying her disconnection from society and reality and final decision that the club and performing with a fake smile (represented by her smudged red lipstick) is all that's left in their broken world and the only way to get anywhere. Whether it be needing money or any sense of glee fake or not. This number certainly brought a tear to many peoples eyes. It's twisted and disturbing and somehow still beautiful, just like all of this show.
18. Finale- A fantastic summary of the show in a song where dreams are shown to be crushed and the initial precedent of joy and cheer set by the club at the beginning is brought back demonstrating the journey of the characters. Just like at the beginning the Emcee asks 'where are you troubles now' and then answers 'forgotten, I told you so...' showing that the hidden struggle is desperately trying to be upheld but now the audience sees through the façade as they certainly do have troubles there and life is not beautiful it is ugly, twisted and hidden. As well as that the audiences troubles cannot begin to compete with those inside the Kit Kat Club. This strange and and changed version of the opening number shows the journey as if you are now seeing it with truth of what goes on behind closed doors and minds.
Finally a quick mention to the make-up and costumes. These were successfully subtle at times and at others loud and clown like representing characters hidden struggle that couldn't be hidden for long. The costumes were also different from many other productions with muted and excessive outfits rather than just black and white as well as the Emcee having many different costume to represent the feelings of the general public of Berlin at different points in the rise of Nazi power.
In summary, as you can tell this show has endless layers to offer and could make up many articles. However, despite it's insanely high prices if you have an opportunity to see it, definitely do so as it has made it to number one on my best musicals list and I don't think the impact of that night will ever leave me. The three words I would use to describe it are beautiful, grotesque and poetical.
-credit of the 2023 October London Cabaret cast