* This review may containt spoilers about the show / experience *

Speechless. That’s how I felt walking into The Playhouse Theatre last week. Absolutely speechless.

I have been in this theatre for Fiddler on the Roof when the aisle was altered. Was also there when it was converted into the Afghan Café for The Jungle. I heard that the whole Cabaret experience was a crazy ride. But never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the transformation that had taken place inside that theatre. As soon as you walk through the entrance you are immersed into the Kit Kat Club. The two theatre bars are filled with the pre-show cast giving us some great musical performances and wild dance routines.

The actual auditorium itself is completely unrecognisable. It feels like a very intimate space, with the stage set up in-the-round. I was in the front row of the back dress circle, which has been purpose built for this production. Despite being up one level, it still felt very close to the action. For people on the table seating, these seats all have a phone on them and you may receive a random call from a cast member before the show begins. How wild!

What is the show about?

Cabaret is a show set in 1930’s Germany in a seemingly liberated society. As the horrors of fascism begin to take hold we helplessly watch as some of the characters stay trapped in denial or self-interest, unable to truly understand what is going on around them. As friends and neighbours turn against one another, the once lively music begins to take a sorrowful turn as the realisation hits that this carefree society is just an illusion.

At the beginning of the musical we are encouraged to “leave our troubles at the door”. By the end of the show it’s clear that this is an impossible task. When the cast line up on the stage during the final number, all standing in line wearing the same bland uniform, it is a striking image of a society tumbling towards a facist nightmare that values conformity and obedience above all else.

The cast

Fra Fee as our wonderful Emcee certainly knows how to captivate a room. His warm vocals contrast his unnerving presence throughout the show. I also had the pleasure of seeing Emily Benjamin understudying the role of Sally Bowles who brought a youthful naivety to the role. As the show goes on, we watch her unwravel until everything boils over during the titular song ‘Cabaret’.

Omar Baroud gave an emotionally captivating performance as Cliff, and I was lucky enough to catch Anna-Jane Casey understudying for Fraulein Schneider who was absolutely wonderful. Director, Rebecca Frecknall, has beautifully re-invented this classic Kander and Ebb musical proving to us that its themes remain just as relevant now as they ever were.

Tickets are admittedly very expensive, but if you can manage to see this production it’s definitely worth it.

Have you see Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club? If so what did you think? Let me know in the comments!