Cabaret - Playhouse Theatre

This is probably my favourite show in London at the moment.

I hope I get to see the new cast, so fingers crossed I find the time and money lol.

I did catch the last performance from the last cast, and I felt that Aimee Lou Wood was the strongest Sally Bowles I had seen.

Some spoilers follow. . .

A very emotional goodbye to 4 cast members (John McCrea, Aimee Lou Wood, Vivien Parry & Richard Katz) from Rebecca Frecknall commenced the proceedings, all of whom I felt were phenomenal in their last performances in their respective roles.

Frecknall got on stage to acknowledge that they'd all given their all to this run, and to thank them for that. Despite a production stop at the beginning, for a fainting audience member (who I think I saw walk out on their feet, thank goodness), this night was easily a highlight of my theatregoing year so far.

John McCrea was leagues better in his last show than when I previously saw him. Although he neither as fragile as Eddie Redmayne, nor as powerful and aggressive as Callum Howells, he was so lithe and comfortable in his own skin at that last performance, and, coupled with his magnificently penetrating, modulated and haunting singing voice, he was a beguiling presence

It was Aimee Lou Wood, though, who I'd previously only seen in straight plays (amusing and offbeat in Downstate, resigned and poignant in Uncle Vanya, a bit part in Mary Stuart), who was off the charts great in this, in my opinion.

Her Sally Bowles is currently my favourite of those I've seen, just as Eddie Redmayne is my favourite Emcee (though I've loved them all):

If Madeline Brewer was the most broken, and Jessie Buckley the most torn apart, then Wood was the most defined, the most iconoclastic and individual, a world in herself:-

Her speaking voice was calm cut glass crystal clear high-pitched diction, her manner acute self-contained stillness, accompanied by a savoured and self-aware narcissism: her Sally Bowles at once the most controlled and the most uncontrollable, with a comedienne's confidence in her own performing skills: a portrait of defiance and rebellion even though that defiance was as much against common sense as anything, and that rebellion amounted to a frightening conformism with the Nazi status quo. Lou Wood's final "Cabaret" incorporated elements of mimicry and comedy, suggesting that her focus on performance, her individuality, her defiance, was so strong that she had succeeded in banishing the monstrous evil of the Nazis from her mind (by contrast, Jessie Buckley, Madeline Brewer and Emily Benjamin were all to different degrees in states of breakdown, movingly less able to tunnel vision the horror of the Nazis away). It was Aimee Lou Wood's absolute tunnel vision that made her performance so chilling and effective!

The last night in this show, for 4 wonderful performers, proved to be raucously entertaining, haunting and frightening, a 5 star highlight of my year thus far.

Hope I get the chance to see the new cast.

Who is taking over as Sally?

If Billie won't leave her kids for a west end run, I'd be surprised if she would move half way across the world.

Because she doesn’t want to, she doesn’t want to!

I found that Maude Apatow really grows into Sally as the show progresses. I was a little underwhelmed by her vocals during the early numbers of Don’t Tell Mama and Mein Herr but she delivered one of the most emotive performances of Maybe This Time that I’ve ever seen.

She also owned the title number, which as we know is a big task for anyone. Performance wise she was wonderful to watch, obviously a big acting talent. I enjoyed her accent as well, she had her posh English girl accent nailed.

However, it was Mason Alexander Park who stole the show. Utterly ghoulish and hilarious in equal measure. I’d recommend anyone thinking of splashing out on this show to do so while he’s in it. The rest of the new cast were great too, no complaints on that front.

I like Cabaret a lot. This is probably still the best version of it. But there’s something about it, maybe the plot or lack of any real character development, that stops me from connecting emotionally and loving it. It’s another high four stars from me.

I see Billie Piper was at the gala night (not saying this means she's going to be in it!)

so many people at the gala night but like...we can dream!!

Just book Samantha Barks for Broadway

Did you see her do it last time? This is not a good idea

Agreed

Ok…fair enough…just a thought….

Some other ideas: Ariana DeBose, Julianne Hough, Annaleigh Ashford, Soleia Phieffer?

A cast of 22, two of whom will be on star wages (thousands per week). A prologue company of 11. A band of 8. A whole theatre team front of house to deal with the audience and keep the show on the road. A theatre that almost halved its capacity to from 1000 to 550 and cost masses to turn it into the Kit Kat Klub.

That's why they're charging £200 for the tickets.

I'd imagine people think they're getting two people in the leads that are likely known to them, and one of the highest quality productions in the West end. Which is what they are getting.