Cabaret
16 November 2021
The Kit Kat Club (Playhouse Theatre)
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
Oh, I was very excited for this one. Granted, I got the cheapest seats I could find, a £25 upper circle seat for the second preview, and was a bit worried if the view would be okay from there. But it was more than okay!
The theatre has been completely transformed into the Kit Kat Club with stunning details and beautiful décor, and even telephones on the tables near the stage. The stage is a relatively small pedestal round in the middle of the stalls, with small tables set up around them. There are few more non-table seats further back in the stalls, and then the circle and upper circle above. Seeing as the overhang is quite far and I could look relatively straight down onto the stage setting, the view was fantastic! I felt like I was only a few feet away from the action despite the cheap seat. Premium tickets with dining options can run over £200, but I’d say for this show they are definitely worth it if you want an unforgettable date night!
The show itself was fantastic, presented so well with an unreal, sense of impending doom undertone to it. I loved this production of Cabaret, especially Jessie Buckley and Omari Douglas’s performances stood out, as well as all the dance talent that really made it feel like an underground cabaret club. What an overwhelming and emotional show!
As the show is quite intimate and the actors do venture into the audience frequently, all audience members were required to show proof of a negative lateral flow test taken in the last 48 hrs preceding the show. This really put me at ease, as I often find it a bit distressing how many people refuse to wear masks in a closely seated performance. I wish more shows would make this a requirement, though it would definitely put more strain on the front of house staff.
If you get a chance, definitely catch this one, it’s such a delight to watch, even from the “worst” seats in the house!