‘You won’t be disappointed’: CABARET – Touring

Touring – reviewed at Churchill Theatre, Bromley
Guest reviewer: Valerie Carter

What a pleasure to see Rufus Norris’ award-winning production of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley.

For those who don’t know, it is set in the Kit Kat Club in 1931 Nazi era Berlin. It is based on a play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood. I can understand why Javier De Frutos won an Olivier Award for the choreography of this.

There was a time, some years ago, when whenever you switched on your television Anita Harris appeared. It was a joy to see her again. I had forgotten just how good a performer she is. James Patterson gives a sensitive portrayal as Herr Schultz who doesn’t realise the danger he faces. I had heard how good Kara Lily Hayworth was in Cilla – the Musical but I’ve not seen her before. I suspect we will be hearing more from her.

But John Partridge! What can I say? From the first moment he appears, sitting in the ‘O’ of ‘Wilkommen’, he steals the show completely. I have seen him in many different guises over the years and he never fails to excite with his remarkable voice. I particularly enjoyed his ‘Tomorrow Belongs to Me’. The audience certainly enjoyed the show and gave it a standing ovation. I would recommend anyone who gets the chance to go and see it. You won’t be disappointed.

Shanine Salmon

Shanine Salmon was a latecomer to theatre after being seduced by the National Theatre's £5 entry pass tickets and a slight obsession with Alex Jennings. She is sadly no longer eligible for 16-25 theatre tickets but she continues to abuse under 30 offers. There was a market for bringing awareness that London theatre was affordable in an era of £100+ West End tickets – Shanine’s blog, View from the Cheap Seat, launched in April 2016, focuses on productions and theatres that have tickets available for £20 and under. She is also quite opinionated and has views on diversity, pricing, theatre seats and nudity on stage. Her interests include Rocky Horror, gaming, theatre (of course) and she also has her own Etsy shop. Shanine tweets at @Braintree_.