For those who prefer their cabaret on the civilised side, and indeed alongside a slice of pizza, glass of wine and the beautiful ambience of the King’s Road, Cabaret Confidential would be just your ticket. Performed once a month, the showcase profiles emerging artists and this December it has the added sparkle of Christmas. Even without the seasonal cheer, the glittering brooches and feathered eyelashes on host Jamie Anderson would have been enough to add the festive mood!
This month is particularly female-heavy, with Claire Hawkins, Marianna Harlotta and Celia Delaney performing in this intimate venue. With a wide range of styles on show – from the operatic take on pop songs from Harlotta, to the musical theatre numbers from Hawkins – the night was cohesively linked through Anderson’s hosting. In particular, his controlling of a particularly noisy audience couple was much appreciated from the rest of the crowd.
Hawkins began the evening with some well-known musical numbers, and her voice filled the space, in particular when joined on stage for a duet from Chicago. A change of direction was provided by Harlotta and her allegedly world-class violin-playing Vladimir Chestikov, as they showed up the ridiculousness of pop song lyrics. When you hear a classical version of Britney Spears’s Toxic you may pause, once again, to query how it sold 400,000 copies.
The night was concluded with nominee for Best Newcomer at London Cabaret Awards, Delaney. Bringing a Devon crowd with her, despite her claims that “a decade in Devon was enough”, her mixture of comedy and sadness created some poignant moments amongst the laughter. Her original songs, including a send up of Les Miserables’ ‘On My Own’ in relation to the London housing market, were particularly inspired. Laughs were also drawn from Birgitta Kenyon (aka A Girl Called Fred) on the piano who yodelled about being an under-appreciated, depressed Christmas elf. This downtrodden Santa’s helper had complaints from the reindeers to vertigo, and was a Christmas treat much enjoyed by the crowd.
The Pheasantry, situated beneath what is the most grand Pizza Express in England, I imagine, is a great cosy venue for rising performers. While small enough to feel particularly close to the show, it is also large enough to handle the extravagance and exuberance that is associated with cabaret.
Cabaret Confidential is a welcoming and friendly environment for up-and-coming cabaret and musical theatre stars that is hosted in a particularly glam venue. Definitely on the more sanitised and clean side of cabaret, it nevertheless delivers a solid and enjoyable evening of entertainment.
Cabaret Confidential is a monthly showcase of rising stars from the musical theatre and cabaret scene. For dates and more information see The Pheasantry website.