Theatre Review: Cabaret, The MAC

The MAC looks opulent and dingy at the same time, great care has gone into re-creating a 1930’s German Cabaret club in the main auditorium, little tables of 4 dot the floor and a raggedy wooden stage and battered doors take up the main.  Our orchestra sit above, barely dressed.  Welcome or should I say “Willkommen”, to the world of Cabaret. What starts as a jovial, filth dripping night of song and dance quickly descends into the all too real hell of the inevitable onslaught of the Nazi’s. The idea of transforming the room completely is far from a gimmick, it makes for a much more immersive and real production. The performers are nearly all the triple threat some are even a quadruple threat making up part of our orchestra as well, who are by the way be-a-utiful.  The opening song ‘Willkommen’ oozes sexuality and seems incredibly playful, but grotesque at the same time. Patrick J O’Reilly (who plays our Emcee) bokes out the words, reminding me of a young Dee Snider, the filth from his mouth would make Ian Paisley turn in his grave.  But it’s all in the best possible taste, as for all the fun and frolics that take place Cabaret is a musical that’s telling a story, and a very serious one at that.  Songs are used to both drive the action along and to be sung on the stage at the Kat Kat club, kind of real world vs fantasy world scenario that musicals usually choose one or other side of.  Towards the end we see that the grotesque and debauched actions within the Kit Kat club are no match for what’s happening in the real world as the oppression of the Nazi party goosesteps it’s way into everyday German life.

The production that Bruiser have put on is fantastic, the Kit Kat club is immaculately realised. The costumes apt, adopting a kind of jaded grandeur.  The use of stage and space is excellent, allowing for movement to be happening across many levels and at times leaving you not sure where to look. Local boy Matthew Forsythe encapsulates the part of silver spoon born realist Cliff Bradshaw opposite Kerri Quinn’s character Sally Bowles, who has a naivety and innocence that allows the severity of everything to pass her by. Star turns by both and complimented one another tremendously. Accents are nigh on perfect too from German to English , to American  and what ever else is thrown in, they never distract and only very occasionally got ropey.  Katie Tumelty arguably stole the show as Mrs Schneider, the story of her finding love in old age with a Jewish gentleman, one of the most poignant and ultimately pivotal in the story.  After a slightly longer fist half the second half takes on and tackles the more serious issues at hand and ends with a suitably dramatic conclusion that leaves the audience in both shock and awe.  Like every party that goes on too long, it’s not pretty at the end.  I enjoyed this production of Cabaret immensely, so much so I’m returning next week to go sit at one of those oh so quint tables of 4. Life is indeed a cabaret old chum, until as we see at the end, it most definitely isn’t.