Cabaret swing goes on mid-show after learning track during interval
(© PPG Photography)
For those who are unaware, swings are tasked with being attached to shows, stepping in (normally with much more notice!) when company members with dedicated tracks are either off or unable to perform. Their contributions have gained much more visibility during the pandemic, when cast illnesses have disrupted normal schedules.
O'Mara, who has previously appeared in Imagine Theatre's Beauty and the Beast and Jack and the Beanstalk , was forced to learn an entirely new track (the role of Cabaret girl "Lulu", one of the Emcee's elite coterie) during the interval of the seven-time Olivier Award-winning show at the Kit Kat Club.
The role of Lulu, one of the Kit Kat Club dancing girls, is a physically demanding one; they are present across a variety of numbers throughout both acts of the show. Kit Kat Club company members also provide audience interaction and generally contribute to the ambience of the space in Rebecca Frecknall's immersive experience.
Cabaret continues its indomitable run, where it is currently booking until October 2022.
Watch Cabaret performances and interviews from the Oliviers here:
It is currently led by Fra Fee as Emcee, Amy Lennox as Sally Bowles, Omar Baroud as Cliff Bradshaw, Vivien Parry as Fraulein Schneider, Elliot Levey as Herr Schultz, Stewart Clarke as Ernst Ludwig and Anna-Jane Casey as Fraulein Kost.
The cast is completed by Josh Andrews, Emily Benjamin, Sally Frith, Matthew Gent, Emma Louise Jones, Ela Lisondra, Theo Maddix, Chris O'Mara, Daniel Perry, Andre Refig, Christopher Tendai, Bethany Terry, Lillie-Pearl Wildman and Sophie Maria Wojna.
Cabaret is directed by Frecknall with design by Tom Scutt, choreography by Julia Cheng, musical supervision and direction by Jennifer Whyte, lighting design by Isabella Byrd and sound design by Nick Lidster.
The casting director is Stuart Burt and the associate director is Jordan Fein. The show is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions and Underbelly.
