aAh! Magazine
You are here: Home / Culture / Review: Mesmerising, Moving and Tragically Beautiful – Cabaret @ Palace Theatre
Culture

Review: Mesmerising, Moving and Tragically Beautiful – Cabaret @ Palace Theatre

2nd March 2020 By 0 300

Mesmerising, moving and tragically beautiful – these are the only words that can describe the performance of ‘Cabaret’ at the Palace Theatre.

The performance takes the audience on a journey through a raunchy, romantic and sexually liberated world that faces off against the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, all of which inevitably ends in a crescendo of emotion that leaves the entire theatre in silence.

The musical in and of itself was striking, but what made this performance stand out was the absolutely dazzling work done by the actors who played the parts of all Cabaret’s iconic characters, whose personalities are so unique that even being remotely able to replicate them is an astounding feat.

Kara Lily Hayworth played Sally Bowles, the lover of American writer Cliff Bradshaw – a role she was made for. Her ability to express Sally’s carefree nature was truly convincing and her ability to sing for this role was so raw and powerful that the only person to have possibly given a greater rendition if even by a fraction, is Liza Minelli from the 1972 film of the same name.

The expert acting abilities of Anita Harris who took on the role of Frau Schneider the landlady of the apartments in the performance was also a highlight – the veteran of the arts conveyed her character with an incredible range of emotion, from laughter that never seemed forced, to the absent-minded ramblings and then truly deep and howling sadness.

However, possibly the most incredible form of acting in the whole performance goes to the madness of John Partridge, who played the eccentric Cabaret host Emcee.

To accurately depict a character that diverse, especially considering his almost sadistic lack of morals is one thing, but Partridge expresses even more eccentricity through his mannerisms and speech, which only seem intrinsic to the character itself, almost as if he was filling in the blanks of Emcee as a person rather than a character.

The performance with its brilliant set, amazing music and talented performers will have you laughing in true delight, with the almost uncontrollable urge to sing along and cry unstoppable tears.

These tears, however, will not be accompanied by cries or sobs, as this performance leaves you in total silence with the rest of the theatre.

Cabaret ends with the same words that it opened with, but without the warm feelings: “Willkommen, Bienvenue, welcome…” and there is no better sentiment of which to end such a show on.

About the author / 

aAh!

aAh! Magazine is Manchester Metropolitan University's arts and culture magazine.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • 16th June 2026

    Rainbow Kitten Surprise @ O2 Apollo review – enthralling and magnetic

    Featured image and gallery: Sub Khan It’s no surprise that Rainbow Kitten Surprise have made a name for themselves in recent years, their genre-merging approach and deeply introspective lyrics piquing the curiosity of thousands. Formed in 2013, the band have long surpassed their humble roots of playing their dorm rooms in North Carolina. From establishing…

  • 16th June 2026

    Drums as bins and enamel pins: The ‘punk-ish passion of Open Fly

    Featured image: Ella Venn and Nicola Cutts Manchester’s Open Fly talk new music, performance mishaps and men. Bassist Lily Rose believes that women have better things to say than men when it comes to song lyrics, especially in the world of indie bands. She says this with a sheepish smile as her bandmate and frontwoman…

  • 16th June 2026

    Five analogue hobbies to refresh your mind

    Featured image: Nicola Cutts & Olivia Taberner Watching a movie, scrolling through social media and playing video games can be fun, but sometimes, you just want to slow down and disconnect from a screen. Where better to begin than with a magazine that you’re holding? Here are five analogue hobbies that will kick off a…

  • 16th June 2026

    Album review: Kyle Alessandro – Aura – Alessandro’s a winner

    Featured image: Aura Album artwork Kyle Alessandro’s journey these last few years has been nothing short of impressive. Previous album, Evig & Alltid, recorded in Norwegian and released in 2023, had a more conventional pop sound but latest record Aura swerves this and sees Alessandro go searching for a different sound altogether. With Aura, there is…

Latest Articles