A Jukebox Cabaret

A Fantastic Cabaret

I know that for Director, Lorna Marshall, this has been an idea that she has had and been working on for a long time. It was well worth the wait, as this was a very special, rather different-style Cabaret, which ended up being an incredible production indeed. Congratulations for creating such a powerful story and selecting rather an unusual collection of songs to help tell that story as a fantastic revue. El Tango Roxanne was at the heart of the production and certainly sent chills through the audience as the director intended.

I understand that this is to be Lorna’s last show, but what a show to finish with, as this is certainly a show to be very proud of, and it will long be remembered. As Lorna says in the programme “this type of show is never a one-person effort”. Yes, it was excellently directed, but also credit goes to a very talented musical director for some wonderful musical arrangements, ensuring that everyone delivered first-class performances. Astounding choreography by Nichola Taberner, Charlotte Jackson, and Claire Norbury-Hall, who make a formidable team. Together they created striking and very memorable routines which also drove the story along. Everything was a perfect mix, and the audience was swept along on an electric journey. This show even featured musical talents, with some of the cast showcasing their musical abilities by playing instruments again, adding that special touch.

A large cast of incredibly talented singers and dancers, with everyone taking a turn in the spotlight from time to time, had obviously worked hard on nailing every note and delivering every move. The production team must have really put them all through it to achieve such high standards from everyone. An astonishing amount of talented people gave top-class performances.

Claire Jackson and Nichola Taberner are to be congratulated on costuming the show. So often costumes can make or break a show. All the acting, singing, and dancing can amount to nothing if the look is wrong or if the costumes are ill fitting, restricting movement, or wrong for the character. Here everyone was well costumed, and there were clearly identifiable characters, which helped with the story telling. Some lovely creations and varying changes of styles added another layer. Another excellent touch was the bold design on the show t-shirts. So congratulations to Sarah-Louise Martin and Nichola Taberner - these looked stunning.

Keeping everything under control was Lynne Bigland, who steered the whole show along, and with her crew made up of Tim Bigland, Jason Robinson, and Keith Speight, she did an impressive job ensuring that everything was in place, including electrics half way through for the featured keyboard, and things ran smoothly.

A crazy number of fabulous singers required special sound control, so who better to have than the safe hands of Chris Beardwell, whose talents know no bounds. Lighting, as with costumes, can make such a difference to a show. Dan Dainter is just a lighting wizard and certainly knows how to bring a director's vision to life brilliantly. The lighting was stunning but not overpowering, interesting but not distracting, but most of all, it helped with changes of moods and helped tell the story. Thanks to Lorna Marshall, Tony Bond, Angela Mallinson, Linda Roddie, and Charlotte Stenhouse for their warm welcome and organising front of house so that everyone could relax and enjoy the show.

Without an audience, there is no show, so a big shout out to Kate Bentley and everybody involved in the incredible promotion of this show. The programme was stylish and provided the audience with what they needed to know. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable night out where everybody on stage and off was swept along on an impressive journey by a wonderful society. Massive congratulations

 

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