The cast of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club London with Emcee, Adam Gillen.

Life is a cabaret, old chum! Come to the cabaret...

I'm just back from a delicious break in London and can't wait to share my latest obsession. If you've been anywhere around me, your ears would have fallen off from my endless gushing of how great Cabaret (the musical) was. Now, I'm talking about London's famous West End production at the Playhouse Theatre – Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club.

In this post I will be sharing my personal experience and thoughts on the show which I had watched TWICE in one week – the first show with Adam Gillen & Katherine Langford (from Netflix's 13 Reasons Why fame), and the second with Billy Porter & Marisha Wallace. Yes, TWICE. I told you I was obsessed. (Lots of spoilers ahead! You have been warned.)

Willkommen – A ‘tamed-down-for-TV’ performance.

Put down the knitting, the book and the broom. It's time for a holiday...

My fascination only started a week before my trip to London, where I was filling up the itinerary and booking whichever shows that needed pre-booking. I knew I wanted to watch a musical and was immediately drawn when I saw the banner for Cabaret. Without further psycho-analysing my instant attraction to the curious-looking character, I went down the rabbit hole.

I dived into the storyline, listened to the songlist on repeat, watched every YouTube clip including the behind-the-scenes of Tom Scutt's set production (more about him later). That was also when I realised that there would be a change of cast on the week I was visiting and Billy Potter (*shriekss*) & Marisha Wallace was taking over. I was sold!

Billy Porter as Emcee, and Marisha Wallace as Sally Bowles.

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome!

I also thought it would be punny to kick-off the UK trip by watching the show and to also watch it again on the last day. So after comparing a few ticketing sites, I decided it was best to buy the tickets direct - https://kitkat.club/cabaret-london/. The great thing about the site is that it shows the virtual-360 degrees view from your seat, because who wouldn't be worried? The ticket prices are *gulps* quite the investment. I was trembling with self-doubt while checking out my cart..."Do I really need to watch this TWICE??"

Adam Gillen as Emcee, and Katherine Langford as Sally Bowles.

I also wanted to experience the difference between a Dress Circle seat vs a Stall seat. So I bought Dress Circle H12 for the first show with Adam Gillen, and a floor-level Stall seat E3 for the second show with Billy Porter. I guess I was lucky that I got such wonderful seats even though it was rather last minute (that's the thing with buying single seats, I guess).
Both seats were the same price.

A breathtaking interior to set the mood – Kit Kat Club (London) at Playhouse Theatre.

Because it was a round-stage, I was also worried about which side of the stage would be considered 'front'. The politically correct answer – there are no bad seats! It didn't matter as the show was designed such that the actors are constantly moving and spend equal parts facing both sides. But in my honest opinion, after watching both shows, the ‘front’, right side tends to get more face time.

Of course if you are rich enough to buy the pair of VIP-seats with a table, your experience would be the most immersive as the performers walk and mingle around you. Not to mention, there is this mysterious looking phone at the table that would ring and when the VIP answers, my curiosity grows wilder as I imagine their conversation.

(((Spoilers ahead!)))

Perfectly Marvelous

(Did I mention I gel-ed my nails green ala Sally Bowles. SMDH)

The experience begins the moment you step into the Playhouse Theatre where you will be transported into the world of Weimar-bar Berlin; the Kit Kat Club. But not before being briefed by the guy at the door that (1) no photos or videos anywhere inside the building. You will be given a sticker to cover your camera phones. (2) No touching of the performers at any point. Strictly see no touch!

As you trot down the stairs into a narrow neon-lit corridor, guests were offered a shot of what tasted like thinner. I looked it up and apparently they were 'schnapps' – I had 2 shots and didn't die.

Soon, we arrived at a 'backstage area'. There were performers on the piano and a saxophone, with another pair freestyle-dancing to a seductive tune. Nearby the bar was bustling with guests prepping themselves with cocktails I couldn't afford, so I just watched the contactless payment brick ker-chinggg away.

The path led us up another flight of stairs from the red-lit bar, to a gilded and glamorous (and very busy) bar. I heard a lady ordering a 'Toast of Mayfair' and when she walked by I saw a shimmery drink in her hand (and drooled). Another pair of performers were 'dancing' on the terrace above. I was wide-eyed and gaping with fascination. My eyes lingered on their beautifully toned bodies. The femme with the turban had a line of moustache scrawled on her upper-lip. The boy had gorgeous green eyeshadow I wish I could borrow so that I could pretend to fit in rather than just being a spectator.

Although there was no dress code for guests, the ladies dressed up to the nines! Some were decked in sequins and some were in theme, with flapper dresses inspired by the 1920s.

It Couldn’t Please Me More

On the ticket, you are advised to arrive an hour early and I quickly learnt why. The prologues are designed to ease you in to the atmosphere of the Kit Kat Club. While I waited for the actual show to start, pre-show performers were interacting with the audience, all this to set up the mood and hype up the anticipation.

You can read up on Cabaret's storyline on your own but I found this an interesting read – A complete guide to all the songs in ‘Cabaret’ . It is a musical afterall and like attending a concert, you should learn the songs to appreciate the show better and know them well enough you can almost sing-along (but please don't. No one came to hear you sing.)

Which show was better – are you curious to know?

Now, I ain't no TimeOut critic nor have I seen enough West End productions to comment and review. What I'm sharing are my personal preferences and a unique perspective from a Singapore girl who skipped a few dinners to be able to (barely) afford the tickets.

The cast are stars in their own right and each of them bring their own flavour to interpret their characters.

But here are my personal Top 5 votes:

Best Emcee – Adam Gillen vs Billy Porter: Adam Gillen

Best Sally Bowles – Katherine Langford vs Marisha Wallace: Marisha Wallace

Best Overall Vocal Performance: Marisha Wallace

Best Vocal Performance by Adam Gillen: "Money"

Best Vocal Performance by Billy Porter: "I Don't Care Much"

The fabulous Marisha Wallace performing *“Don’t Tell Mama”.*

Ouh, and if I could add one more – I have a crush on Patrick Wilden as 'Lulu' (you’re soo beautiful!) and an enormous girl crush on Alexandra Regan as 'Rosie'.

I was so moved by Marisha Wallace’s singing, it made me cry. True story! Even though her character Sally Bowles is one who sings rather off-key, Wallace treated the audience to a sumptuous feast of ‘this-is-what-you-call-singing’.

I guess what moved me to tears was the feeling of gratitude for the opportunity to experience such a surreal performance by a star-studded cast, even though I was in London for a short break (yet a much needed respite and in need of creative rejuvenation).

Worth every penny. Probably the only photo I took – just to remind myself of the surreal experience.

Here’s a sneak of Marisha’s recent performance of Maybe This Time.

Did the schnapps take over my head or did I die and went to blissful Cabaret-heaven?

I promise you, I was so taken by the life at the Kit Kat Club that if they announced there was a job opening, I would have dropped everything and joined the troupe. (I'll stand-in to play the Gorilla!).

Awe-inspired by entire experience design, not to mention the theatre set and costume design, I then learnt that it was the genius of Tom Scutt.

Watch it here – Follow Tom Scutt backstage, as he shares the creative process behind the reinvention of the Cabaret set.

If I couldn't be part of the dance troupe, perhaps there was a better chance I could follow Scutt's footsteps and study scenic design? My dreams shall continue to flicker in excitement. ~ Tomorrow belongs to me…

Visit https://kitkat.club/cabaret-london/

(all photos are not mine, except those that are.)

Maybe This Time – I found my troupe in West End London!