A port-hole window opens half way up the glittering safety-curtain and the smiling bleach-white face of the master of ceremonies peers out at the crowd – he sings in a cracked, world-worn voice “Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome...”. This is the surreal opening number in a musical that really defies many expectations. You can often get a sense, in musical theatre, that the plot is secondary to the songs - just a line to peg them on. Of course, that was never going to be the case with Cabaret and anyone who has seen the film will be aware of both the human and political passion in the story.
What’s it about?
The story is set in 1930s Berlin where English wannabe-starlet Sally Bowles (Anna Maxwell-Martin) sings night after night at that infamous den of iniquity the Kit Kat Club. Clifford Bradshaw (Michael Hayden), the (almost) wholesome American abroad, stumbles into the scene and becomes embroiled in the dark, seedy society where sex, drugs and money are king. Add to this seething underbelly the growing presence of the clone-like Nazis and we see the gleeful atmosphere of hedonistic pleasure begin to fall apart and give way to something altogether more sinister.
What’s it like?
Rufus Norris’s West-End staging is incredibly physically expressive. The choreography (Javier De Frutos) is amazing, capturing the sexual depravity of the scene in a crass and brutal physical reality, which in its complete lack of boundaries becomes almost asexual. The chorus dancers seem at times like the grubby bottom-dwellers they portray and at other times, strangely ethereal - like tortured souls writhing in hell. All of which makes the performance sound far more academic than it is. This is a truly enjoyable play not just for it’s cleverness and delicate ambiguity but also because the characters are truly believable and engaging.
A perfect example is the relationship between the aging couple, Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, which is genuinely touching and stands in stark contrast to the giddy promiscuity around.Nothing is too simple in this play - there's no bludgeoning the audience with moral messages and no attempt to create justice by the end. Which is why it's so tragic.
Who’s in it?
If you think you recognise Sally Bowles, it’s because Anna Maxwell-Martin recently won a BAFTA for her lead role in Bleak House (BBC series). If you think you recognise the ghoulish Emcee, you might put a policeman’s hat on that sloppily painted face and realise that it’s James Dreyfus, who’s most famous for his role as Constable Kevin Goody in the Thin Blue Line. Perhaps not the biggest stars ever to hit Theatreland, but, taking on such strongly characterised roles, it’s probably just as well. I can’t imagine the usual B-list pop-stars-cum-newfound-actors surviving in such a passionate and often austere piece of theatre.
Who’d enjoy it?
You’ll enjoy Cabaret whether you’ve seen the film or not. In fact, you may even enjoy it more if the tragic storyline is entirely new to you. If you’re looking for a light-hearted piece of family entertainment you certainly won’t find it here. However, if you like beefy, thought-provoking, emotionally-charged, dryly humorous but ultimately tragic entertainment then Cabaret is the one for you.
What should I look for?
If the show comes with any warnings it’s that there is complete (yes, full-frontal male and female) nudity at times. Which the prude in me tried to class as gratuitous but couldn’t (when you see the ending you’ll understand why). Also it’s very low on the average musical cheese-factor – there are a limited number of “belters” and far fewer jazz hands.
Verdict
I loved it. It’s the sort of performance you’ll watch and then want to stay up all night talking about.
Sara Sha'ath
Hello,
I am going to see the play, can you tell me at what time it finishes when it starts at 19h45 ?
Thank you in advance
Bye
C.BOHM
Posted by: BOHM Catherine | 26/01/2007 at 11:08 AM