Being set in an unstable pre-war Germany, and having become amongst the most regularly-performed shows in musical theatre, both the premise of Cabaret and the show itself are in danger of becoming over-familiar. What this production and director Maria Montague have therefore had to face up to – and do, admirably – is how to put a unique stamp on such a well-known show.

Featuring various individual performances of an impressive standard, this show has a lot to offer, if not always completely convincingly.

Rozzi Nicholson-Lailey gives a consistently strong performance as Sally Bowles, as does James Ellis as her counterpart, Cliff Bradshaw. Unlikely couple Fraulein Schneider (Freddie Poulton) and Herr Schultz (Charlie Merriman) are pitched perfectly and generate a genuinely charming relationship. Merriman is also very commendable in his solo moments, where he manages to fully command the stage despite Schulz’s inherent reticence. The inclusion of a female Emcee (Ellie Nunn) is a particularly bold move, which pays off in the reinvigoration it brings to the role.  Generally, the cast’s affected accents were well-held, but were occasionally in danger of becoming generically European rather than specifically pinpointed.

Overall, more focus could have been put into musical detail. While no numbers felt noticeably flat or under-rehearsed, very slick pieces of group choreography meant that solo or smaller group songs felt extremely exposed. The competence of the band provided a firm basis for the musical numbers, but there could be further careful consideration of balance – particularly for the sake of clarity in moments of spoken dialogue over band accompaniment.

What seemed to prevent this production from hitting the gut-wrenching emotional notes it could be capable of is the sensation that it experiences a slight diminuendo in energy in the second half. The vigorous first half sowed the seeds for an extremely moving climax, but key scenes in the second half lacked the conviction that seemed to be promised by earlier action. An indicator of this lull was the introduction of stage combat, which felt forced rather than the natural result of building tension. This moment could possibly fall more naturally with the levels of force and anger in the character of Cliff building up even more evidently over the course of the scene. 

Cabaret undoubtedly delivers a stunning visual impact, created by an impressive use of space and truly superb choreography. For a show as prominent in the general conscience as this, the production deserves significant praise for instigating brave, fresh ideas. It does feel, however, like the broad brushstrokes of a very powerful show have been made, but it now needs more depth and detail inked in. An enormous amount of work and effort has clearly gone in to this inventive production, and as the performers become increasingly at home over the course of the run, it has the potential to develop into an extremely impressive show.