As a lover of the arts, I have been to see some amazing performances out there – seriously, Shakespeare would have been proud with some of the things I have seen.
As a lover of the arts, I have been to see some amazing performances out there – seriously, Shakespeare would have been proud with some of the things I have seen. Nothing, however, compares to the art of Cabaret.
First introduced to it by Frisky and Mannish at The Christmas Cabaret in the Clapham Grand, London, I wasn’t sure at first as to what to expect from the leading cabaret performers as I was completely new to the scene. But once I had seen it, it was like a drug I was completely hooked and wanted to see more.
A form of theatre that experiments with music, dance and drama, cabaret is so much fun and far very different to people’s perceptions about cabaret. After you have seen a cabaret show, you will smile and want to see it again and again.
The friendly side of theatre
Personally, I like the fact that cabaret is very friendly – you go to a cabaret event and everyone knows each other. It’s like a cabaret family—even as the audience you feel a part of it. And that does not always happen when you see a show, I love going to the theatre but you don’t always get that same feeling of community cabaret spirit when you see theatre alone.
Whenever I see a Cabaret show, I travel to London. Yes it is a long trip, three hours in fact, but it is very worth it.
Take Cabaret Roulette for example that I previously reviewed for Kettle. It was a mix of a range of fantastic, talented cabaret performances that have been given a theme and inject it into their performance. That was a truly memorable night that left my eyes full of sequins and covered in glitter. And that is exactly what cabaret should be about.
In my home town of Newcastle, you can often find Cabaret performances. I have been to see two shows in the North East, one being the recent show of Mister Joe Black’s ‘Ginfully Yours’ that was on at the Black Swan Bar in Newcastle and it was one of the best cabaret performances I have seen. If you are totally new to the scene then I would definitely recommend to check him out.
The need to understand
Of course, there are a variety of performances when it comes to Cabaret. Chris Cross, a magician and contortionist from Newcastle is an example of this. He put on a variety night in Northumberland where I was able to see some upcoming and world class cabaret performances.
It was definitely nice to see something new and out of the cabaret box and proved to me that you don’t need to travel too far to find something that is entertaining and totally worth your while seeing.
As Lady Fritz Frisky (Frisky and Mannish) stated in the video that some people are using the word cabaret in a derogatory fashion (*cough* *cough* Gary Barlow). And that needs to be prevented – people who use Cabaret as a dirty term i.e. saying Cabaret when they mean crap need to get out there and lose their cabaret virginity.
It is coming up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival soon and there will be plenty of cabaret shows going on during the festival, so you should try something new. You can never have too much Cabaret.
What do you think about Cabaret? Have your say in the comments section below.
Image: EKSTASY / Wikimedia Commons
