Credits
The Production Team
| Production Secretary | Tricia Morris |
| Stage Manager | Jan Stanyon and Glyn Turner |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Avril Simmons |
| Clerk of Works | Jack Morris |
| Set Design | Shula Fitzgerald |
| Set Construction | Jack Morris, Fred Williams and friends |
| Lighting Design | Dave Godin |
| Ligting Operator | Nina Balderson |
| Follow-spots | Joe Fitzgerald, Shirley Hillier |
| Sound | Ian Hamilton |
| Rigging |
Richard Godin, Glyn Turner, Olly Parker Phil Parkinson &Richard Hopkins |
| Rehearsal Pianist | Lynda Newton |
| Properties | Joe Groves |
| Costumes | Liz Naisbitt, Fern Haxby and Angela Field |
| Front of House Manager | Jo Williment |
| Box Office | Sally Coston |
| Publicity | Sharron Burley |
| Language Coach | Sue Harris |
| Make-up | Lauren Stanyon & Shula Fitzgerald |
| Fight Choreography | Peter Nicholson |
| Stage Crew |
Vanessa Elliot, Marc Lovelock, Nick Rodway, Julie Lovelock, Richard Hopkins, Stephanie Coston Holland |
| Refreshments | Friends of Riverside |
| Poster Design | Lauren Stanyon |
The Cast
| Emcee | Gavin Davey |
| Kit Kat Klub Dancers |
Anya Williment, Cathie Parker, Gemma Lovelock Jenny Harris, Lauren Gray |
| Clifford Bradshaw | James Fidgett |
| Ernst Ludwig | Ian Slipper |
| 1st Customs Officer | Clive Stanyon |
| Sally Bowles | Kelly White |
| Fraulein Schneider | Fiona Gordon |
| Fraulein Kost | Lorraine Lloyd |
| Herr Schultz | Alan Cremer |
| Sailors | Graham Steel ,Ged Ferns, Duncan Hook |
| Waiters | Steve Fenlon, Clive Stanyon |
| 2nd Customs Officer | Kevin Monk |
| Chorus |
Jo Courts, Carol Marsh, Graham Steel, Ged Ferns, Duncan Hook, Kevin Monk |
The Kit Kat Club Band
| Colin Palmer | Trumpet and Keyboards |
| John Budden | Bass Guitar |
| David Grubb | Piano |
| Lynda Newton | Keyboards |
| Rebecca Ellard | Alto Saxophone |
| Michael Barker | Trombone |
| Gary Sycamore | Drums |
Reviews
"NEW CABARET PRODUCTION IS TRULY ‘WELCOME' " - Roy Atterbury, Kentish Times
“Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome” utters the Kit Kat Club’s ingratiating EmCee as the clientele of one of Berlin’s most decadent night-spots settle down for an evening of debauchery and idle pleasures.
This is the opening scene of the musical Cabaret which is based on Christopher Isherwood’s stories about Berlin in the late 1920s and early 30s.
Depending upon the quality of the performers and the director, this show can make audiences feel extremely uncomfortable as they watch the seeds of the new Nazi party being spread among the revellers in the club.
There is pathos, too, as an old German woman’s love for a Jewish fruit seller is destroyed by hatred and racism. I have never seen these elements portrayed with such power until last week.
The Riverside Players have always been inventive, whether they are producing spectacular open air events or putting on simple dramas at their venue in Eynsford. For the last three weeks, for example, they had turned their auditorium and foyer into a brassy, smoky nightclub that attracted full houses throughout the run of their own and very dynamic version of Cabaret.
Dave Godin’s lighting design was spectacular, while Shula Fitzgerald’s set design made it possible for the many transitions from nightclub to railway stations, grubby rooms, and railway carriages to be made with remarkable speed. But what was even more impressive was the professionalism of the performers.
Even 14-year-old Robbie Jacobs made a big impact as a member of the Hitler Youth, Gavin Davy played the difficult part of the androgynous, unpleasant EmCee as if it had been made for him, while, in the role of nightclub entertainer Sally Bowles, I can only describe Kelly White as superb. Quietly sexy, an excellent dancer, a powerful and well-trained voice, and suitably amoral, she was everything that her character should represent. As her ill-fated American lover, James Fidgett looked the part of a writer and acted very well.
His singing voice needs some fine tuning but it has a rich tone that will surely blossom. Tender performances by Fiona Gordon and Alan Cremer as the German woman and the Jew, Ian Slipper as a menacing member of the Nazi party, and Lorraine Lloyd as a reasonably happy hooker were all excellent.
Colin Palmer directed the talented group of musicians and the director John Harris must have been proud of his complete team including, of course, the dancers and singers of the Kit Kat Club who were expertly choreographed by Debbie Beard.
By Roy Atterbury
Photos
Photos are in the Gallery here.