Cabaret! Review!
Words: Tom Bevan (Sprout Editorial Group)
"Life is a cabaret, old chum?" and for this Bill Kenwright production it really is.?
From the opening number Wilkommen right up to the final encore, the musical is stunning, sexually charged and thought provoking and its stupendously clever set outclasses most touring shows.
Based on the Berlin Stories, a collection of books by Christopher Isherwood, Cabaret follows the decadent night clubs of pre-Nazi Germany and the characters within them.
The staging of the show is powerfully symbolic, effectively showing the growing menace of the Nazis.?
Wayne Sleep is perfectly cast as the quirky Emcee and Samantha Barks, finalist of BBC One's "I’d Do Anything" , may have avoided most of the dancing as the saucy Sally Bowles but performed with surprising maturity in her professional theatrical debut.?
Her rendition of Maybe This Time is truly outstanding and she really proves herself as both a singer and an actress in the role.
A fantastic ensemble piece, each member of the excellent cast held the audience spellbound and helped to create a powerful evening out.?
This is a fearless, frank production that magnificently renews a classic musical.
"Come to the Cabaret!"
For info on upcoming shows at the New Theatre visit their?website.
