“Life is a cabaret, old chum”, or so they say. And never will that be more true than this Saturday as The Leeds Club says “Wilkommen” to The 1930s Berlin Diary. Leeds Trinity postgraduate journalist Ailsa Rochester meets the creative team behind the event
The show is shrouded in mystery but we are promised “Willy Wonka meets murder mystery, meets Edward Scissorhands, meets La Soiree cabaret, meets a music gig, meets a comedy club, meets a night at the theatre” which will transport the audience to the German capital in the inter-war era.
The concept for the show comes from Marmalade Inspired, one half of which is Laura Jarmalaite, she thinks good cabaret is either too hard to find, or too expensive and there’s no truly interactive theatre here in Yorkshire.
Laura is deliberately keeping schtum on exactly what to expect – but she has told us it’s based around the experiences of English writer Christopher Isherwood whose works were also the inspiration for the musical “Cabaret”. So it seems we’ll be whisked away to 1930s Berlin, complete with all the decadence and debauchery that made the tale of Sally Bowles and the Kit-Kat Club such a hit on Broadway and in cinemas.
It promises to be a fully interactive experience with guests expected to dress the part and mingle with dancers, singers and musicians – and with a nod to the 21st Century a portrait artist will be on hand, he’s called ‘Instagram’.
Laura and creative partner Jennie Swift are hoping that this will be the first of many entries in The 1930s Berlin Diary – with plans to turn it into a regular club night and touring other venues already discussed. But this debut will be at The Leeds Club, previously a members only venue where the city’s business leaders met, its wood panelled walls and chandeliers adding to the historic ambience and providing another touch of glamour to proceedings already certain to be full of glitz.
Guests are encouraged to don their best vintage garb and shimmy on over to The Leeds Club, 3 Albion Place, LS1 6LJ on Saturday 29th March from 7.30pm.
Tickets which cost £10 are available from: http://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Leeds/The-Leeds-Club/Marmalade-Inspired-presents1930s-Berlin-Diary/12125288/