Theatre Review: Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is an iconic West End show that I saw last week, and I am sharing my thoughts on the musical below.

If you've followed my blog for a while, you will know that I am a fan of musical theatre, whether that's watching live musicals at the theatre or simply watching movie versions on my television.

I've written a few theatre reviews over the years on WriteWatchWork, and I'm back with another this week.

Last Friday, I went to the Kit Kat Club in London to see the hit show Cabaret. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so, of course, I wanted to share my thoughts with you all.

So, if you're interested, continue reading for my review of the Berlin-based musical, Cabaret.

Review of Cabaret

Genre: Period musical drama

Rating: 8/10

Stars: Skylar Astin, Sarah Hyland, Ruthie Henshall, Robert Hands, Baker Mukasa, Ronan Burns, Lindsay Atherton, Joe Atkinson, Xavion Campbell Brown, Olivia-Rose Deer, Anya Ferdinand, Lily Frances, Adrian Grove, Peter Houston and more

Synopsis:

The synopsis of Cabaret is as follows: "Berlin, 1930. A city alive with music, desire and possibility. The party is in full swing – but a shadow is growing at its edges.

"Inside the intimate and electrifying Kit Kat Club, Sally Bowles sings to forget. Cliff Bradshaw writes to remember. And the Emcee reminds us that life is beautiful... until it isn't."

Based on the play by John Van Druten, the musical follows various characters living in Berlin as the Nazi Party begins to rise to power. Conflict arises, but the Kit Kat Club continues to invite you in for an evening of singing and dancing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9ec5s3sHTI

My Thoughts

Going into this, I didn't really know what to expect. I hadn't heard much about the story of Cabaret before; I only knew that it was set in Germany and the Emcee is an iconic character.

The musical is performed at London's Playhouse Theatre, right next to Embankment Tube Station. Inside, you go down a couple of flights of stairs and along a dark, narrow corridor.

You're given a sticker that staff put over the back camera of your phone. The idea is not to take any photographs or videos inside the Kit Kat Club, so that the experience remains elite and mysterious, which I actually really enjoyed.

Because Cabaret is set in a nightclub, the Playhouse Theatre was transformed into a club of sorts. There were musicians and dancers performing before the show began in the bar areas, which was great for building the atmosphere.

The show I saw was the 19:30 showing, and I was seated in the Upper Circle. I will say that if you have mobility issues, are quite tall and not very well-balanced, the Upper Circle seating may not be for you. The stairs to our seats were quite steep, and the seating area was quite shallow.

However, the view from the Upper Circle was actually amazing. We got a top-down view of the circular stage and even the orchestra too.

Credit: WriteWatchWork

My friend and I wanted to see Cabaret with the current cast because we are fans of Skylar Astin, who is from Pitch Perfect and plays the Emcee, and Sarah Hyland from Modern Family, who plays Sally Bowles.

These two actors were incredible. Skylar Astin's performance as the Emcee was so versatile, and I loved the humour his character brought to the show. Sarah Hyland, her singing voice...wow! She performed brilliantly, and there is one scene where her character cries and breaks down, and I was in awe of how real Sarah made her performance seem.

The other cast members were equally amazing. There was so much dancing and movement on the stage, and the moments when they all joined in singing were electrifying.

I really enjoyed Ruthie Henshall and Robert Hands' performances as Fräulein Schneider and Herr Schultz. Their storyline was so heartwarming, but also bittersweet. However, it did have the audience awing and smiling along with them.

I will say that if you don't know much about Cabaret before watching it, be warned that some of the dancing is quite sensual and sexual, and there are a few innuendos littered throughout the script.

However, as a musical theatre fan, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Cabaret. I am really glad I got to see the musical, especially with actors whom I know from other films/shows I've seen.

So, if you're a fan of seeing shows in the West End and fancy watching Cabaret, you can buy tickets here.

Until next time...