Cabaret; a “perfectly marvellous” play – Jessie Jordan
Last week, RHS saw the drama department perform the rather provocative musical ‘Cabaret’. This production transported you to Germany in the early 1930’s, with flashy costumes and exotic dancers to contrast the bleak repression of the Nazi regime at the time. Furthermore, this musical was nothing short of naughty, containing almost as many lip bites as there were sailors in Fraulein Kost’s (played by Anna Patten) apartment.
Cabaret is a musical that touches upon the issues facing the German society, as the Nazi party became more prevalent through their politics. Don’t be fooled by the innuendos and revealing costumes, as there is a darker and more morbid side underlying the musical. The clash of upbeat dancing, and troubled politics presents a haunting shadow throughout the entire narrative, precisely cut off by Armadi’s chilling performance that completed the play in a concentration camp as Hitler rose to power.#
The musical is meant to shock the audience, and the cast proved that, showing darker sides to their personality than most would think possible- especially in the case of the seemingly ‘innocent ’ Ben Jackson. An array of accents also proved the diversity of the cast, with Nick Sims playing the American writer Clifford Bradshaw, Libby Ahlers-Diver playing Fraulein Schneider, Oliver Hurley playing the Jewish Herr Schulz and Hadrien Ville playing Nazi supporter Ernst Ludwig. Additionally, Amadi Gray showed the audience his ability to act promiscuously as MC, even flaunting his strong passion for gorillas and pineapples. Perhaps most impressively, or distastefully, was Amelia Potter’s ease to drink a raw egg and tobasco sauce three nights consecutively, much to the audience’s horror as she played the role of Sally Bowles, English star of the Kit Kat Club. The cast did an impressive job of recreating the 1966 play written by Christopher Isherwood, showing off a range of theatrical skills; dance choreographies that perhaps were a little uncomfortable for the audience to watch, singing a multitude of catchy songs, and all the while entertaining the audience.
Huge congratulations must go to all those who took part in the play, and of course to Mr Kerr, who organised it. It was a truly extraordinary performance, and the hard work and long hours were clearly visible throughout the whole cast’s portrayal.
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