Cabaret Reviews

Sue from London, England

AMAZING PERFORMANCES - UNCOMFORTABLE SEATS

You enter from the basement and head to the bar area. There are performers entertaining you, they are fantastic but there isn't really enough room and the security are quite surly getting you to move back, especially as you have no idea what I going on at first! The show itself is brilliant, the Emcee and supporting dancers are spectacular. The atmosphere was fantastic and the waiting staff very attentive and professional. The only gripe I have is that at £200 a ticket for row C table seats it was not possible to sit straight with your legs under the table because of the ice bucket bracket and because they have squeezed too many seats in too tightly you could not move to the side because the person right next to you, (the seats are touching) was also trying to get comfortable. Sitting twisted in this way was very uncomfortable and detracted from our enjoyment. Rows A & B had much much more room between the tables. Avoid row C at all costs it is not worth the money.

Oma from Brighton England

A WORK IN PROGRESS BUT WHEN IT MELDS WILL BE GENUINELY EMOTIVE AND SHINE

This was a preview performance (29/11/21) and further adjustments are still needed to make the most of the content which at times is overwhelmed by the production. Last night showed the bones of a truly amazing and consistent show but where leading roles were loudly acted and sung above being ‘lived’. The long raunchy sequences although amazingly produced overwhelmed and at times dimmed the storyline. The set and setting worked well and the band, orchestra and incidental music was amazingly preformed. Both around the theatre and in the pit ( which is located very successfully in two circle boxes ). Some singing was unfortunately strained and shouty when more restraint and less volume would convey the raw emotion more successfully. This version of Cabaret is designed to be immersive and the tawdry clubland atmosphere is well thought out, its unusual but successful. For example the moment you enter into the theatre the evening starts. The complimentary drink was an unexpected bonus but really helpful in creating a buzz from the beginning. I think I’m more critical than most so don’t be put off by me. My plan is to come back in a few months and enjoy once again after it has fully ripened but mellowed like a cheese.

John Scolly from London, England

UNDERWHELMED

I expected so much more but was not 'wowed' - although I was clearly the exception from the audience reaction. Looking back it was probably more about the whole experience rather than the show itself. Cramped seats, the pathetic food bag, and nowhere to place the food or drink without having to shield every time somebody stood up or tried to leave the aisle. Very stressful! Eddie Redmayne was good, but I thought Jessie Buckley was a little strained. Did she have a cold or was she trying to compete with the orchestra? She was an excellent actress though. The film was so much better!

Paul Shotton from London, England

OUTSTANDING - BUT ONLY IN PARTS

The big set pieces are excellent but they are interspersed with too many slow moving passages and a poorly structured narrative which make this a less than satisfactory revival of a much revered classic. Eddie Redmayne demonstrates his virtuosity to match Joel Grey's cinematic portrayal of the the MC, however Jessie Buckley is mis-cast as Sally Bowles, despite much effort she is unable to breathe life into the central character. I found myself checking my watch a sure sign that at three hours it out stayed its welcome.

Kate from London, England

AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE BUT COLD

This aims to be immersive from the start with members of the ensemble dotted around in the entrance tunnel and red half light everywhere. Authentic in that it was a crush because people stopped to watch in narrow corridors. Nightclub seating is not raked but rises every 4th (?) row. Tables were A to C, we were row E and with two six footers in front of us struggled to see. Queue for the ladies in the 20 minute interval stretched down 3 flights of stairs. The show itself was spectacular, the ensemble and Lisa Sadovy and Anna Jane Casey were excellent. Jessie Buckley suffered from strange direction, she has a great voice but had to shout and scream the title song, it could have warmed up towards the end and become life affirming, but no. Eddie Redmayne wiggled and contorted but made no real connection with the audience. "If you could see" was strange, my guest who was new to Cabaret had no idea what was happening. Felt no sorrow when they all died, I have seen better stage versions.

S from London, England

50/50 ON THIS ONE

I started my journey into the world of 1930s Berlin with wide eyed wonderment but about 30 mins in my eyes were wondering away from the stage. There are parts that are amazing and there are parts that are frankly quite awful and boring. The Cabaret girls and boys were fantastic. The musical numbers wonderful yet I found myself clock watching at parts of the storyline. Scenes felt disconnected, acting non engaging. I struggled to follow the storyline at times even though knowing the film quite well. I have come away feeling very mixed about it. I’m not sure if I love it or hate it or if I’ve missed the concept completely Either way Eddie Needs to be seen as Emcee…. Jessie as Sally needs to be replaced. The cabaret girls and boys absolutely carry the show. Shame as I had such high expectations…. Maybe that was the problem

JuliaD from London, England

A* FOR EFFORT - B FOR END RESULT

There is no doubt that this production makes a huge effort to make its mark on this musical. It is fair to expect that key actors and designers will want to leave their own stamp on this and exorcise the ghost of Liza and Joel. Eddie Redmayne worked his bollocks of here with full commitment and energy for days and succeeded in being the glue that holds the show together. Unfortunately Jessie Buckley didn’t perform but I presume that her understudy played Jessie’s version of Sally. Sally should be a force of nature; she should be carefree, independent, vulnerable, self-obsessed, innocent and worldly-wise all at once and this was not the case here. The circus style setting was interesting but relied too much on physicality rather than character for me. Omar I Douglas was like a young Sidney Poitier in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner - best thing in it.

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