Halloween Eve saw Kingston’s third-year drama students casting a spell of laughter at The Fighting Cocks, their first Cabaret Live show of the semester. The undergrads kept the town entertained with a mix of comedy and music for onlookers who headed to the popular uni pub. The audience settled in for a night where camp humour met classic cabaret charm.
The show was created by the drama department as a space for final-year students to step out of the classroom and into the spotlight as part of their assessed module. They came together as a team to organise, produce, and perform the entire event. Cabaret Live gave them a night of creative freedom to present either original material or adapt something they have worked on in class.
Acts on the night included stand-up comedy, musical numbers, drag performances and burlesque amongst other variety acts. For third-years hoping to graduate in the summer, it is a chance to experiment and gain confidence whilst interacting with the public.
The first of three shows in an academic year, Cabaret Live leaned into spooky season by having a Halloween special which saw the whole cast dressed up as characters from The Addams Family, a sketch that went down well with punters. Producer Katie Woolgar-Brown said in the run-up to the event: “We’re going to be in character all night, talking to people, inviting people in. It’s kind of like an Addams family soiree, which is how it was marketed.”
Doors opened at 7pm, to a lively crowd that played a huge part on the night. In addition to the raffle, which ticketholders were automatically entered into, the drama students hosted a ‘best dressed competition’ where brave guests took a moment on stage to “do a little strut to a song,” as Woolgar-Brown describes. The winner walked away with a free shot from the bar for their efforts, and their five minutes of fame on stage.
Attendees who are not drama students were also encouraged to bring their own acts if they wanted to perform. Having her own act in the event last year, second producer Ebony King said: “We’re mostly young people, and having performed myself, I remember looking out and seeing an older man singing, and going, ‘oh, who is that?’ But yeah, it’s open to the public.”
Both producers of the live event worked hard alongside their classmates who had other roles, such as managing front of house, technical support, and social media. Both King and Woolgar-Brown emphasised the importance of the behind-the-scenes work, and the backstage skills they are learning. “We’ve got Adam as front of house, Monty’s our stage manager/ techie, and we’ve got Taylor and Ellie on socials,” said King.
With tickets selling for just £3 in advance, and just £5 on the door, past shows have been very successful. Previous performances have consistently achieved a full house with many having to stand to watch the live show.
However, King wants more students to attend their shows later in the year. “Obviously, we advertise amongst our course and just our department, but we’re always trying to reach the other art students, and just other students in general,” she explains.
The Cabaret Live team plans to return for a Christmas and Valentine’s Day special, with further details yet to be announced.
