Made with Xara Web Designer Keswick Amateur Operatic Society Tuesday 3rd May to Saturday 7th May 2011 Jen Novak, Lakeland Herald Ross Brewster Keswick Reminder                                                CABARET         KESWICK  AMATEUR  OPERATIC  SOCIETY Artistic Director   Chris Briggs Musical Director   David Sutton Choreographer   Jenni Thornton  I have to be honest when I say ‘Cabaret’, isn’t one of my favourite shows, but I have to say KAOS made an excellent job of it. Set in 1930’s Berlin, on the eve of the Nazi coup, and the anti semitic purges, it tells the story of the lives and loves of people in and around the seedy Kit Kat night club.     The whole company were on stage as the audience entered the auditorium, and stayed on during the whole show, and didn’t detract, in any way from the intimate  scenes being played around them.     There were some lovely performances from Jenni Thornton, as English cabaret singer Sally Bowles, star performer at the Kit Kat and James Hutchinson, as American  author, Clifford Bradshaw, both professionally trained, their romantic scenes were very convincing, and they both sang beautifully. They  were ably backed by Linda Lowth, as spinster Fraulein Shneider,  the local landlady, and Chris Briggs as her would be husband. Another fine performance came from Neil Lawson, as sinister Emcee, Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat. The show moved along at a great pace, the one set was used extremely well, with insets used for the more intimate scenes. The costumes were very good and were of period, and it was clear there had been a lot of attention to detail. The sound was very good and the orchestra were very sympathetic to the singers. The chorus and dancers, although not having a great deal to do, did their jobs well, and it all added to the spectacle.     All in all this was a very ambitious production from the society, and I believe they pulled it off extremely well. Congratulations KAOS for taking on this challenging  show, and for bringing top class Amateur theatre to the wonderful Theatre by the Lake. Ed McGee 09.05.2011  Ed McGee NODA North West Keswick Amateur Operatic Society’s (KAOS) production of Cabaret is up- front, racy and excellent,due to an exceptional leading cast and dancers. The story is set in Germany in the 1930s, just before the Nazis came to power. Neil Lawson as the camp Master of Ceremonies at Berlin’s seedy Kit Kat Club, gives a wonderful performance, and succeeds in bringing the whole production together. Jenni Thornton makes an excellent Sally Bowles - a young, beautiful English entertainer at the Kit Kat Club - who just loves men. She sinks her claws into penniless American writer Cliff Bradshaw (James Hutchinson), a kind, caring, upright man. The other love story in the tale, which is a touching friendship, involves Cliff’s landlady, Fraulein Schneider, played to perfection by Lynda Lowth, who is to marry Jewish shopkeeper Herr Schultz (Chris Briggs). But just as happiness seems to beckon there is disturbing evidence that Jews will not be tolerated in the new Germany. Jonathan Denny is the quietly sinister Nazi Ernst Ludwig who begins to show there are dangerous times ahead.  With the rise of the Nazis both romances are destined to falter. This production is fast moving and fun.  The use of microphones meant you didn’t have to strain to hear the words of the songs, although at times they were just a little too loud.  Having the orchestra set above the action also seemed to work well. The Kit Kat girls impressed with their dancing and singing, and the pricipals performed well. This has obviously been hard work for all concerned, particularly artistic director Chris Briggs and musical director David Sutton, but well worth all the hours of work.  An exciting and very different production from KAOS. The last performance is tonight at the town’s Theatre by the Lake. KESWICK AMATEUR OPERATIC SOCIETY REVIEW - CABARET Behind the boisterous and vivacious scenes from the cabaret there are disturbing undertones of the coming to power of the Nazis in Germany in Keswick Amateur Operatic Society’s terrific new production. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly of amateur shows over the years, but I can thoroughly recommend Cabaret as one of the very best. This is one production that never drags its heels, never fails to command the audience’s attention, and contains some exceptional individual performances. Foremost among these is Neil Lawson as the camp Master of Ceremonies at Berlin’s sleazy, seedy Kit Kat Club. He begins the show with Wilkommen and ends it with Auf Wiedersein and in between he is the glue that brings the whole gloriously brash and noisy production together. Enigmatic and ambivalent, he draws the audience into the show and you have to make your own mind up about him and the subtle tale he seems to be telling. The use of microphones means you do not have to strain to hear the words of the songs. Sometimes they are just a touch too loud, but on the whole it works well. The Society has brought together some cast principals who can belt out a song and act. At times you could well believe you are watching an all professional show such is the timing and panache with which they approach their roles. Neil Lawson is marvellous, and around him Jenni Thornton sings powerfully as Sally Bowles, the young English entertainer at the Kit Kat Club who is not averse to sleeping her way into men’s good books, until she meets visiting American writer Clifford Bradshaw (James Hutchinson). She falls in love with the handsome but penniless author. But as Jonathan Denny, the quietly sinister Nazi Ernst Ludwig begins to indicate, there are dangerous times ahead.  Bradshaw, who has been smuggling items into the country for Ludwig, realises the Nazis are taking over and tries to persuade the new pregnant Sally to leave with him and go to America. But can she drag herself away from the decadent club where she is the star singer? It is not destined to be a show of happy endings. Artistic director Chris Briggs doubles up beautifully as Herr Shultz, the Jewish shopkeeper who plans to marry lonely boarding house keeper Fraulein Schneider, played with understated excellence by Lynda Lowth. Theirs is a touching friendship, but just as happiness seems to beckon there is disturbing evidence that Jews like Shultz will have no part to play in the new Germany. “You would understand if you were German,” says Denny’s character. “But I am a German,” says Shultz, believing naively that broken windows at his fruit shop are just caused by mischievous children. There are some witty moments, notably the dance featuring the MC and two ladies, Edna Sharman and Kate Vernon, but the undertones of Cabaret are of early 1930s Germany when the fun is about to end and appalling events await. A word, too, for the Kit Kat Girls and their lively dance routines. This is a show that crackles with vitality, yet manages to convey a darker element that slowly reveals itself as the action moves forward. Ludwig coming back from his political meeting wearing a swastika on his arm, the refusal of those like Sally to acknowledge the truth that’s around the corner and the kindly, ordinary people like Shultz and Fraulein Schneider whose lives are to be turned upside down by the rise of the Nazis. Cabaret runs at the Theatre by the Lake until this Saturday and is a tremendous advertisement for Keswick Amateur Operatic Society. Ross Brewster Dear Editor, I was fortunate to be in the audience of Keswick Amateur Operatic Society’s production of Cabaret at Theatre by the Lake on Saturday night.  I would like to take the oportunity of thanking all concerned for one of the best night’s entertainment I have had in years. This is a show that I am very familiar with, and how well the cast did it!  It was bright, fast moving and imaginative.  Everyone on stage was an active participant and the audience was captivated from beginning to end.  The dance numbers were excellent and how refreshing to see young performers on stage really enjoying themselves. Even the disruption of the fire alarms going off and the evacuation of the Theatre didn’t throw the professionalism of the performers who delivered some wonderful “ad-libs” when the show finally restarted and really got the audience laughing and back in the mood.  The music throughout was excellent as was the set. I am a regular theatregoer and have seen many alleged professional shows, but the show I saw on Saturday night bettered very many of them.  Keswick is really fortunate to have a performing society of this quality in town.  They deserve every support and I shall certainly be back. Letter to Keswick Reminder