REVIEW: Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (Playhouse Theatre)

This production of Cabaret is probably one of the most anticipated productions of the year, with a star cast and a mysterious element to it the excitement for this show is at an all-time high. There have been multiple productions of Cabaret over recent years, in the UK we’re used to seeing the Bill Kenwright production which has toured numerous times and has made a couple of pit stops in London, so this new and fresh take of the show is very welcomed. 

As you walk into the theatre, you enter the KitKat club. The main entrance is out of use and the audience are guided through the stage door (although this isn’t the case for some tickets), through some dark corridors you enter the immersive space of the underground bar. You are immediately drawn in and then enter into the main space, passing through another theatre bar into the newly renovated auditorium which is now an in the round space with regular theatre seating, two separate dress circles and even table seating around the stage. This makes you feel totally a part of the story however there is a disconnect between the immersive side of the show and the piece itself. 

REVIEW: Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse Theatre

A much loved and classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof is once again seen in the West End after having previously been there in 2007 at the Savoy Theatre. A most recent production include a revival at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2017, this production transfers straight from the Menier Chocolate Factory into the Playhouse Theatre. 

Fiddler on the Roof is set in the Russia at the turn of the century; Tevye and his wife are set to wed off their five daughters. Wanting to stick to tradition and go through the match maker to make better lives for themselves, the girls decide to go with their hearts and marry for love overpowering their faith and families traditions. In the end they are driven out by Russian government who want to clear the villages of the Jewish people, leaving them three days to pack up and leave. The families separate not knowing when, or if, they shall see each other again. 

This show seems more relevant than ever, living in all this Brexit mess we must remind ourself of our true values as a country. This group of people are being driven from their homes, not because they’ve done anything wrong, just because they do things a little differently. The character of Tevye also is being pulled in two directions; the traditional side and his beliefs and his families well being and wishes. We see a man, who has been taught that life works in a certain way, changing his mind due to the next generation wanting different things. He talks about how the traditions he lives by were once new, giving us the realisation as an audience that we must uphold our beliefs and embrace them but allow them to move along with the times. We have to come together and embrace each other, we may not understand one another but we are all here on this earth so lets make the most of it. Something a few people in this country and around the world could definitely learn.