, remarkably, Frecknall's staging has continued to burn bright with every single cast change. It's testament to the genius of her original vision that it doesn't merely withstand these shifts but generously accommodates new talent, meaning that Cabaret tickets are still an absolute must-have. I've had the pleasure of seeing several actors succeed Redmayne and Buckley as the enigmatic Emcee and English singer Sally Bowles, denizens of a vibrant Weimar-era Berlin nightclub. Each has brought a very different interpretation – appropriately enough for a production that emphasises a timely message: the importance of fighting for individualism against a rising tide of forced conformism. Currently leading the Cabaret cast is a riveting American pair. As the Emcee, the exciting nonbinary performer Mason Alexander Park supplies a powerful voice and an unsettling Cheshire cat grin, and punctuates punch-lines with either tongue-wagging suggestiveness or a sudden roar (reminiscent of Alan Cumming's confrontational take on the role).){kind=link}
Mason Alexander Park and Maude Apatow make for an electrifying Emcee and Sally in Rebecca Frecknall’s Olivier-storming, must-see production
Has there ever been a more welcome time to hear the words “Leave your troubles outside”? That’s certainly part of the enduring appeal of Rebecca Frecknall’s electrifying revival of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, which transforms the entire Playhouse Theatre into the Kit Kat Club – including a “willkommen” schnapps as you descend into this immersive underworld.
Although the smash-hit production began in 2021 as a star vehicle for Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley (who are rumoured to be reprising their Olivier-winning roles when the show opens on Broadway in 2024), remarkably, Frecknall’s staging has continued to burn bright with every single cast change. It’s testament to the genius of her original vision that it doesn’t merely withstand these shifts but generously accommodates new talent, meaning that Cabaret tickets are still an absolute must-have.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing several actors succeed Redmayne and Buckley as the enigmatic Emcee and English singer Sally Bowles, denizens of a vibrant Weimar-era Berlin nightclub. Each has brought a very different interpretation – appropriately enough for a production that emphasises a timely message: the importance of fighting for individualism against a rising tide of forced conformism.
Currently leading the Cabaret cast is a riveting American pair. As the Emcee, the exciting nonbinary performer Mason Alexander Park supplies a powerful voice and an unsettling Cheshire cat grin, and punctuates punch-lines with either tongue-wagging suggestiveness or a sudden roar (reminiscent of Alan Cumming’s confrontational take on the role).