Art and war merge together in this musical tribute to the lost lives of those who fought for their own principles. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on this immersive piece mixing a thriller storyline with burlesque performances, to let us know if this show is the kind which couldn’t please him more.
“Leave all your troubles outside”. It’s okay, they wouldn’t have fit through the door in the first place… Cheerful, isn’t it? Well, what do you expect? It’s Monday. But nothing like quoting one of the greatest musicals of all time to lift our spirits through song, dance and a full recount on the rise of Naz—… Seems today is not my day, huh? Alright, let’s be straight shooters here (damn it!). The Kander and Ebb formula of using glitzy spectacle to deal with the rags of History appears to have gathered its own legion of fans – some of them coming even from the creative side.
Enter Déjà Vu Kabaret, an interactive theatrical experience set in the turbulent times of Turkey’s Gezi Park protests. Conceived as an immersive show, where guests are invited to explore the production’s different ambiances before the performance begins, this original piece brings to audiences the fervor of political activism – through the tale of underground artists fighting for their ideals on a clean, nature-friendly future. A commendable effort (which also pays respect to the demonstrators who where massacred by the police’s steep brutality), its sole achievement, sadly, only sticks to its intention.
With a very similar opening to the iconic Broadway musical (a few lines taken directly from its book), the piece however fails to understand what made its counterpart so successful – and ultimately, function as both a work of art and entertainment. Despite its name, it’s fairly impossible (and clearly, wrong) to truly consider it a cabaret. It really isn’t – as it features scarcely three songs, while not any other numbers related to this genre are not included whatsoever. More of a play with songs, basically (with those contributing very little to its storytelling), the whole concept lacks a proper structure – many of its scenes feeling either repetitive or unnecessary and never providing us with the hooking factor to keeps us engaged all throughout.
The use of diverse atmospheres could have created a much more compelling, interesting experience. But there’s hardly any theming to lure us (let alone, transport us) into the edgy universe we’re supposed to feel surrounded by. Putting on a production as ambitious as they probably imagined is remarkably expensive – and it’s of course understandable that a young company cannot assume such costs. But if that’s the case, why then not focus on what’s important? The talent – make it all about it. We don’t need a ride, we need a performance. We hear at the beginning that the troupe is formed by acrobats, dancers, contortionists… Well, apart from a couple of somersaults, where are they? The play’s own world already tells us this is a decadent place run by struggling artists. The only props we require, then, are their skills.
Moving packs of viewers around (those separated into two groups), what looks as the show’s signature trait seems to be working only on the page, unfortunately. The idea is correct. The delivery is not. There must be a reason to take the spectator to another room – something unique that, pretty much a scene change in regular theatre, justifies the switch. Wistfully, this is never the case, since we’re again given the same speech about their goals and principles, without nothing really ever happening. And that may be, actually, the core problem with its account. It’s a call for action, but its request goes unheard repeatedly.
With a committed cast, Déjà Vu Kabaret is closer to a dream that awaits to be realized. Its aim is legitimate, but its method is still striving to find the right path to it. If thoroughly revisioned, making it more proximate to the style it’s trying to sell, it could honestly become a defining example of its own category. But as of now, it remains as an experiment in search for that missing ingredient. The answer is there. Yet, it must be given the voice is lacking.
Déjà Vu Kabaret played for a limited 3-performance run at the Red Lion Leytonstone Theatre. Upcoming show dates will be available on the following link.