Eddie Redmayne reflects on 1500 West End performances of Cabaret: Every Emcee and Sally leaves their soul on that stage

Last night, Cabaret marked 1500 performances in the West End!

Rebecca Frecknall‘s award-winning revival is now the longest-running production of the John Kander-Fred Ebb-Joe Masteroff musical to have played in London.

A special gala performance took place at the Kit Kat Club, welcoming Hannah Dodd and Rob Madge to the lead roles of Sally Bowles and the Emcee.

In the audience were alumni, including Eddie Redmayne. The WhatsOnStage Award and Olivier Award-winning actor originated the role of the Emcee in London before reprising it on Broadway, where he was nominated for a Tony Award. In combination with the New York production, which currently stars Orville Peck and Eva Noblezada, the show has now played 2000 performances globally.

Speaking to WhatsOnStage on the red carpet before the show, Redmayne reflected on his time in the revival. An advocate for getting the show up and running post-lockdown, and having remained loyal to the production ever since, Redmayne recalls feeling “fear” at the start, adding: “It was the sort of start of something new, and it was working with this whole wonderful trip of people.”

He continued: “Very few of us had had experience in professional musicals, like Rebecca, our director, and I. It’s such a classic work; there was a kind of tentative quality, but also such thrilling excitement. We were coming out at the end of Covid, and suddenly we felt from the audience this real thrill to be back in a theatre space. It felt like a celebration of theatre.”

Additionally, Redmayne commented on his WhatsOnStage Award win: “That was also an iconic moment.
That was a great evening. I had a wonderful time.”

Relatively recently, he completed his six-month stint playing the role of the Emcee in New York. “It is the most thrilling night in the theatre,” the actor comments, “I’ve been lucky enough to come and see so many of our Sallys and Emcees and all the casts give their own individual takes, but they leave their souls on stage.”

As for when we’ll next see Redmayne on stage, unfortunately, we may have a little wait.

“I’m having a moment of respite to build up the energies again,” he confessed, “I need to take a breather…”

We’ll be waiting patiently, Eddie! Whenever you’re ready.