Theatre Review: Cabaret, Spiegeltent

Sia Trokenheim and Will Barling. Photos / Supplied

"Do I shock you?" Sally asks Cliff. "Are you trying to shock me?" he counters. And the answer - both for Sally and for this fabulous, original, risque production of Cabaret is: yes. Why else would Michael Hurst be running around with a two-foot dildo sticking out of his Y-fronts?

Auckland Theatre Company has pulled out all the stops, created some apt new burlesque numbers and recruited several talented and rather attractive young people to wear pasties and spread their waxed legs. Yet the angry political charge is as thrilling as the raunchy eroticism.

Setting the tone even before Wilkommen, a muscle-bound sailor (ex-Cirque Du Soleil aerialist Ebon Grayman) and an equally shirtless young man in lederhosen (Will Barling) engage in a bawdy slap dance. But the slaps turn nasty as the world turns Nazi. By apache-dancing with a woman with palsy in If you could see her like I do, director Hurst highlights that Jews were not the only victims.

Although it lacks a foyer and soundproofing, the Spiegeltent, with its central revolving stage, creates fantastic atmosphere and intimacy; we are in the Kit Kat Klub. As KKK patrons, we're offered Grant Winterburn's discreet band, Shona McCullagh's flesh-baring choreography and Mike Edward's Ride of the Valkyries show of Aryan strength to enjoy. This is intelligent, witty burlesque - unsurprisingly, three of the ensemble (Grayman, Edward and Colleen Davis) are also Dust Palace crew.

Before the fascists kick in and the personal is forced to become political, the principals have to work their thin stories hard to keep up with the exciting chorus.

Amanda Billing's upper-class Sally has a mischievous grin but perplexingly wears a frumpy camisole everywhere - until her singing emphasises how disturbing the weird story of dead Elsie is, in a powerful rendition of Life is a Cabaret.

She then clings to the MC as if for dear life - but the Weimar cabaret he represents is dead too. Chilling and thrilling.