My favourite features of a play

Cyclops and I went to see Cabaret at the King's Theatre this evening.

This was my second viewing of this production of Cabaret this year, which seems a little excessive except that Will Young was so extraordinary in it that I had to see it again now it has left the West End and is on tour.

I’ll not go over old ground, it is essentially the same as last time and you can read my thoughts on that here.

The main change was to the female lead playing Sally Bowles. Last time Michelle Ryan was lacklustre. This time Siobhan Dillon did a lovely job. It was a different interpretation of Sally Bowles to either Michelle Ryan or Liza Minelli. Less desperate and defiant. Siobhan’s Sally Bowles had a manic sweetness about her – very posh totty, very highly strung, very vulnerable. And as the show went on, she unravelled. Cabaret – her swan song – was heartbreaking.

Worth emphasising, Will Young was charismatic and exquisite and this alone is worth seeing Cabaret for. In particular, his Tomorrow Belongs To Me was wonderful – so pure, and then so appalling. Has to be one of the best endings to a first act in any musical I’ve seen (except maybe defying Gravity in Wicked).

I’d give this production a 4.5* – up half a star from last time, thanks Siobhan – but still not a perfect 5 because in my opinion the plot lacks a bit of pace. It may be true that the meandering plot serves to set up the punch of the dark and shocking ending, but it lost my interest in places.