Jake Shears and Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka Self Esteem in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, London. Picture: Danny Kasiyre
Music stars Jake Shears and Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka Self Esteem will step into the central roles in the multi-award-winning, critically acclaimed Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club this month.
The lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling rock band Scissor Sisters, Shears (Kinky Boots, Broadway) will play The Emcee alongside Taylor who first shot to fame as pop star Self Esteem with her critically acclaimed 2019 album ‘Compliments Please’, will make her stage debut as Sally Bowles.
Commenting on their casting in the hit production, Shears said: “It is my privilege and honour to play the Emcee in this incredible show. I am especially excited to be sharing the stage with the force that is Self Esteem. This role has been a lifetime dream of mine and I couldn’t imagine a better production of it to be a part of.”
Taylor added: “I’ve never made a secret of my love of theatre and I honestly couldn’t be more excited about getting to make my stage debut as one of the greatest leads of all time. I’ve joked for years that there’s no need for a Self Esteem musical really because Sally’s story covers most of the points and here we are. I am both artistically and emotionally raring to take on this challenge. Pinch me!”
The stars will join the company from 25 September alongside other newcomers Wilf Scolding (Strange Interlude, National Theatre) as Ernst Ludwig, Jessica Kirton (Cinderella, Gillian Lynne Theatre) as Fraulein Kost/Fritzie, Liv Alexander (Strictly Ballroom, West End/UK tour) as Texas, Natalie Chua (Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre) as Frenchie, Taite-Elliot Drew (Into the Woods, Theatre Royal Bath) as Hans, Damon Gould (Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park) as Victor, El Haq Latief (Wonderland in Alice, Theatre Peckham) as Helga and Travis Ross (Cake The Musical, UK tour) as Bobby.
They will appear alongside current cast members Nathan Ives-Moiba (As You Like It, National Theatre) as Clifford Bradshaw, Beverley Klein (Caroline, or Change, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Fraulein Schneider, Teddy Kempner (City of Angels, Prince of Wales Theatre) as Herr Schultz, Laura Delany (Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends: A Celebration, Sondheim Theatre) as Rosie, Grant Neal (Company, Gielgud Theatre) as Herman/Max and Hicaro Nicolai (A Chorus Line, Leicester Curve) as Lulu. The cast is completed by Rebecca Lisewski, Ela Lisondra, Nic Myers, Andy Rees ,Toby Turpin and Patrick Wilden.
Emily Benjamin will continue as the production’s alternate Sally Bowles until 18 October, with Nic Myers taking over (scheduled to perform once a week) from 19 October.
From 16 October, the prologue company will be Rachel Benson, Ami Benton, Onyemachi Ejimofor, Joseph Hardy, Liz Kamille, Andrew Linnie, Aine McLoughlin, Jack William Parry, Jazmyn Raikes, Oliver Stockley and Ena Yamaguchi.
Presented by Ambassador Theatre Group and Underbelly, the unique new version of the classic musical began performances at the in-the-round 550 capacity venue in December 2021. The production won a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards – the most for any musical revival in Olivier history – and three prestigious Critics Circle Awards.
Rebecca Frecknall heads a creative team that includes set and costume designer Tom Scutt and choreographer Julia Cheng. Musical supervision and direction is by Jennifer Whyte, with lighting design by Isabella Byrd and sound design by Nick Lidster. The casting director is Stuart Burt and the associate director is Jordan Fein.
Based on Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 semi-autobiographical book Goodbye to Berlin and the stage adaptation I Am a Camera by playwright and director John Van Druten, Cabaret features music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.
Angela Thomas
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