Chat Noir A live review by Ryan Beardsley.
You know that famous picture of the black cat you see from time to time on the bags of arty students? Yeah you do, but like me you don’t know what it’s all about other than a pretty, French painting, well now I (and you) do, it’s Chat Noir!
Back in the heady days of 19th century gay Paris and I use the term gay both figuratively and literally, there was what was considered the first ever Cabaret show. And now thanks to the clever clogs at The Lost Estate, you get to go back in time to the 1890s and experience the magic first hand in a musical extravaganza the likes of which you have never
seen.
Taking a trip out to West Kensington to a building that from the outside looks inconspicuous enough, once you step through the doors you’re suddenly transported to 19th Century Paris, the decor, the music, the vibes, it all catapults you instantly to a time gone by and that’s before you enter the magnificent banquet hall. The venue is genuinely stunning, the clientele were completely awe struck at the scale of the transformation, clearly no expense has been spared.
Split across 3 acts; Art, Absinthe and Anarchy, and supplemented by a slap up 3 course banquet of fancy French cuisine, Chat Noir is a riot across 3 and a half hours of rip roaring entertainment.
The cast of characters, led by Joe Morrow as the incomparable Chat Noir founder Rodolphe Salis are utterly committed from start to finish, no mean feat for over 200 minutes where they are part performers, part dinner hosts to the ever increasingly inebriated guests. Morrow takes the bull by the horns and fearlessly leads the performers head first into a storm of madness, innuendo and twists where it truly feels as though anything can and will happen.
Issy Wroe Wright as the Muse is the show stealer, with a voice so powerful that it is matched only by its versatility and she shines during the final act with what is basically a one woman vocal performance of the opera Carmen.
The biggest laughs of the night are reserved for Alexander Luttley as the Mime, an incredibly talented performer who was able to capture heart and soul without descending into pantomime which Neil Kelso as the Magician was able to stun the party goers with a series of tricks, highlighted by card and sword display that I won’t spoil here.
Coco Belle as the Dancer has an energy that is unmatched throughout the mammoth show, I don’t know how she did it but she was still kicking and screaming right to the end and showed herself to be a fearless performer.
The stage shows were supported by an incredibly talented group of musicians, I was lucky enough to be right on the stage where I could admire the work of pianist Alex Ullman and violinist Guy Button first hand and they did an amazing job.
A word to for the rest of the team at Chat Noir, the service team were impeccable throughout, there was never a moment where you were left thirsty, nor should there be when you have an absinth jug on your table, but when you’re hosting a night where rowdy, debauchery is encouraged, they did a sterling job.
So with that I say au revoir to the Chat Noir and tell you to get yourself there as soon as you can, great food, great music, great entertainment, don’t be afraid to dress sharp.
Cast
Rodolphe Salis – Joe Morrow
Muse (Yvette Guilbert) – Issy Wroe Wright
Dancer (Cléo de Mérode) – Coco Belle
Mime (Paul Legrand) – Alexander Luttley
Magician (Joseph Buatier) – Neil Kelso
Musicians
Violin – Guy Button
Cello – Peteris Sokolovskis
Piano – Alex Ullman
Percussion – Will Fry
Accordion – Áine McLoughlin
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