Roar writer Maisie Allen on London Cabaret Club’s “Best of British Pop” performance at West End Live.
West End Live, a weekend of musical theatre’s greatest hits for all to enjoy in Trafalgar Square, was set up to showcase the best of London’s West End talent now that theatres have finally reopened after struggling for the best part of 18 months. Nestled in between The Barricade Boys, a theatrical vocal group, and the cast of Children of Eden’s Cadogan Hall concert was London Cabaret Club’s “Best of British Pop” performance, marking their debut at the event. The show is focused on taking you through the journey of British music, through “the Swinging Sixties; Seventies Glam-Rock and Disco; Eighties Punk; Britpop’s Nineties glory days and today’s biggest anthems” in an authentic cabaret fashion.
Of course, at West End Live, they were limited to a 15 minute slot, but they managed to own the stage, bursting on with showgirls and palace guards to a rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody to get the crowd energised even in the rain, before switching up the tempo to perform a ballet to David Bowie’s “Ground Control Major Tom”. The ballet offered a unique glimpse into how the London Cabaret Club are switching up the genres at their shows in the Bloomsbury Ballroom, and whilst the transition from Queen to Bowie was a bit stilted, the crowd seemed to lap it up nonetheless.
For the finale, their leading lady Hannah fast-forwarded through the decades to cover Steps’ iconic Noughties hit “Tragedy”, featuring a new gaggle of dancers dressed up in glittering feathers for the occasion. Belting out the tune, there was a moment where soprano Hannah hit a high note that reverberated throughout the square, although the operatic turn of events did seem a bit of a surprise given the show’s advertisement of pop covers. Given that it was London Cabaret Club’s first time at West End Live, their excitement was visible to see, and the enjoyment felt by those in the crowd was palpable as they chatted to the hosts, Tom Price and Ruthie Henshall, bringing a different kind of atmosphere to the more traditional musical theatre space.
This isn’t the first time however that they have changed around popular genres and put a cabaret spin on it, performing carnival numbers and a James Bond musical show that will run until November at their usual home, and a plan to create a Great Gatsby immersive experience in the run up to Christmas. The experimental choreography and musical direction of the London Cabaret Club is one which is definitely refreshing alongside musicals that have run for decades, and whilst this year may have been their first time at West End Live, I don’t think it will be their last.
