Stage: Life is a Cabaret

Will Young revives his award-nominated performance as Emcee in the hit musical Cabaret in Eastbourne

Cabaret has been wowing audiences since it first appeared on Broadway in 1966. But for most people Kander and Ebb’s masterpiece is probably better known from the Hollywood version of 1972. For anyone familiar with the stage show, the Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey version will seem like a pale imitation of the original. Their performances are of course both superb, but in the original Sally Bowles is a two bit cabaret artist of little talent, living out a fantasy that one day she will be a star and not the powerhouse belter that Minnelli portrays.

Joel Grey fared better as his role was largely left in tact, which is more than can be said for the rest of the film which was gutted of much of the powerful script depicting the horror of jewish persecution seen in Berlin pre WW II. Fortunately, since then, stage productions have not been tempted to sanitise the original in favour of the slightly candy-coated film version – and thank heavens for that.

Now direct from his award-nominated performance as Emcee, internationally celebrated singer/songwriter Will Young reprises his role in Rufus Norris’ acclaimed production of Cabaret. Following a successful West End run, the UK tour of Cabaret will come to the Congress Theatre, Eastbourne from Tuesday 1–Friday 5 October.

Young has already proved his worth as a versatile performer both singing and then acting in Mrs Henderson Presents, but can he handle a role that carries the weight of that Joel Grey Oscar-winning performance? Well, according to the press reviews from the West End he certainly can, making the role entirely his own.

This production of Cabaret features show-stopping choreography by the Olivier award winning Javier de Frutos, dazzling costumes and some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre including ‘Money Makes The World Go Round’, ‘Two Ladies’, ‘Maybe This Time’ and of course ‘Cabaret’. The production turns Weimar Berlin of 1931 into a sleazy, sizzling haven of decadence. And at its dark heart are the notorious Emcee and sassy Sally Bowles, who perform nightly at the infamous Kit Kat Klub.

Ever since winning the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2002, Will Young has been one of the UK’s most popular and successful music artists and holds the record for the fastest selling debut single in British chart history.

Following the West End run of Cabaret Will Young was nominated for ‘Best Actor in a Musical’ at the 2013 Olivier Awards.
Siobhan Dillon, popular finalist on the BBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, joins the cast as the iconic Sally Bowles. Since the TV show Siobhan has co-written and recorded albums for Universal Music, starred on stage in Can’t Smile Without You and recently made her West End debut in Grease.

Since the Broadway premiere in 1966 and that renowned movie version with Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey, Cabaret has won a staggering number of stage and screen awards including eight Oscars, seven7 BAFTAs and 13 Tonys. The UK tour is directed by Rufus Norris, a multi-award winning theatre, opera and film director, whose production of London Road at the National Theatre, where he is associate director, won the Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

Cabaret, Congress Theatre, Eastbourne, Tuesday 1–Saturday 5 October 7.30pm,
Thursday and Saturday Matinees 2.30pm