Cabaret

Review by: Paul Towers, 15/10/19

Cabaret by Joe Masteroff, music & lyrics by John Kander & Fred Ebb

A Bill Kenwright presentation

Curve 15 – 19 October 2019

“an eye popping re-imagining of  this 1966 musical standard

First off completely forget the Liza Minelli film. While the songs are roughly the same the story is infinitely darker and more brutal.

It’s 1931 Germany, as the second world war creeps closer and the Nazis are gaining ground in Berlin, their jackboots squashing the Jews and gays.

At the infamous Kit Kat Klub the decadent and debauched patrons are still partying like nothing was happening. Sally Bowles, legendary English singer, is taking to the stage with her raucous routines compered by the outrageous Emcee, ringmaster to this nightly exhibition of hedonistic indulgence. In walks naïve American novelist Cliff who immediately embraces the excesses available. Taking a room at Fraulein Schneider’s boarding house he suddenly finds himself with a not completely unwelcome room and bed mate, Sally.

Director Rufus Norris, of the National Theatre, has worked with  designer Katrina Lindsay to create an eye popping look to this re-imagining of  the 1966 musical standard. Forget the Hollywood schmaltz of the 1972 film this goes back to the early book and we get a very gritty, satirical vision of pre-war Germany

John Partridge as the Emcee is a revelation. Highly camp but with a vicious edge, he is the ringmaster of all the fun-poking at the Nazis’ expense. He whips the audience up into the mood for fun in the cabaret club, only for the reality of the outside world to bring us down to earth again.

Partridge is very well supported by Kara Lily Hayworth as Sally Bowles, back at Curve after her show stopping performance as Cilla Black a year ago. Charles Hagerty as Cliff, the naïve American, has returned to the role after touring with it in 2017. Fraulein Schneider is played by the legendry Anita Harris (somehow aged for the part). The ensemble, fantastic dancers well served by Javier De Frutos’ amazing choreography, play lots of minor roles as well as being scene shifters and absolutely outrageous acolytes to the Emcee. The live band at the back of the stage gives depth and immediacy to the whole evening.

There are still tickets available for the rest of the run but do bear in mind that, due to some nudity, it is only really suitable for over 14s

Curve – https://curveonline.co.uk
First published on Western Gazette