It's been a long time since a show has overwhelmed me with conflicting emotion, but Cabaret certainly had me caught between shock and elation!
Cabaret is full of difficult subjects, the trickiest to come to terms with being the rise of the Nazis. This production cleverly reeled us in with loud and funny production pieces set in the infamous 'Kit Kat Club' and then suddenly confronted us with xenophobic fear.
Particlular chilling points came at the end of each act. 'Tomorrow Belongs to Me' is sung at the end of act one, by a young man - with very little orchestral backing - who fills the theatre with hope of a shiny future. Then halfway through the song the EmCee (played here by Julian Clary) step up behind him and slowly removes his coat to reveal the swastika emblazoned on his arm. Suddenly the mood is chilled and in the final line of the song he turns back to the audience with a look that sent chills down my spine!
The end of act two was an even stronger portent of doom with suggestions of the Holocaust to come in clever use of sound effects and lighting for the final tableaux.
Yes there were certainly heavy bit to the show. But the made the outrageous bits all the more exciting! But I can't really say any more without mentioning the nudity. Yes. Nudity. The choreography was stupendous and would, on occasion, climax with total nudity by the company - who were all incredibly fit (take that how you will). There were points where a naked running man were hilarious, and other times when the dancers. stripped bare gave the show a real sense of vulnerability.
Amy Nuttal - who played Sally Bowles - was incredible. She took her character on a journey of rampant excess to a broken woman with no control on her destiny. She was supported by a very strong cast including Julian Clary, who played Emcee.
I was less enamoured with his performance, although he certainly commanded a presence on the stage. I think I probably missed Joel Grey's performance in the film and found that this Emcee was just Julian Clary being Julian Clary.
Overall? BRILLIANT! But as awesome a show as it was, I was glad to have a 'fluffier' show to see the next night to lift my spirits!
