Timeline History of Cabaret in London

Previews began at the completely transformed Playhouse Theatre in London. The auditorium is redone so that staging is now in the round, with cabaret tables up close and personal to the stage, while the bar and foyer areas are infused with Weimar flair. Customers can even enjoy a free shot of schnapps at the bar, and buy German pretzels to snack on during the show.

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club officially opened in London to 5-star reviews, with critics calling it a vibrant and frightening revival (Independent) and a “High-style revival that cuts to the bone” (Variety). The production is infamous for its star casting, with the roles of the Emcee and Sally in the revival being originated by…  

Academy Award, Tony and BAFTA winner and Les Mis star Redmayne returned to the stage for the first time in almost 10 years as the Emcee, opposite Hamnet star and Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Olivier winner Jessie Buckley as Sally Bowles. The cast also featured It’s a Sin star Omari Douglas as Clive. Redmayne had previously played the role in a school production at Eton, and at the Edinburgh Fringe!

The second cast officially step into their roles! A co-star of Redmayne in Les Mis and star of Marvel TV’s Hawkeye, Northern Irish actor Fra Fee played the Emcee alongside Olivier Nominee Amy Lennox (the OG Elle Woods in the West End!) as Sally. 

Cabaret led the Olivier Award nominations at the 2022 awards, snagging 11. The musical won seven awards, including Best Musical Revival and both Best Actor and Actress in a Musical for Redmayne and Buckley, setting the record for the most award-winning revival in Olivier history!

Everybody’s Talking about Jamie star and Olivier winner John McCrea played the Emcee, alongside BAFTA winner, Sex Education and The White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood as Sally Bowles.

The next pair to step into the iconic leads were non-binary actor Mason Alexander Park, best known for their role in Netflix’s The Sandman. This production marked Park’s West End debut, and they later went on to originate the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in the London transfer of Oh, Mary! Sally was played by Maude Apatow, daughter of Knocked Up director Judd Apatow and star of HBO’s Euphoria, also in her UK theatre debut.

Self Esteem, aka Rebecca Lucy Taylor, stepped into the role of Sally. An actor as well as a singer, Taylor has had roles on TV and later led a revival of David Hare’s rock’n’roll musical-play Teeth’N’Smiles. Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears made his West End debut as the Emcee, having previously performed on Broadway in Kinky Boots. The chart-topping duo were originally only due to perform until January, but extended their run until March. 

Model, musician and Suicide Squad star Cara Delevingne led the cast as Sally, opposite Olivier winner Luke Treadaway, best known for his roles in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Attack the Block, as the Emcee. This was Delevingne’s stage debut, and the pair tackled the roles in one of the production’s shorter runs as leads, for only a “kleine” four months. 

The Broadway transfer officially opened at the August Wilson Theatre, after previews from 1 April. Eddie Redmayne reprised his Olivier-winning role as Emcee, and was joined by GLOW and The Greatest Showman’s Gayle Rankin as Sally. The Broadway production continued the trend of star casting with notable casts including American Idol star Ada Lambert and Moana’s Auli’i Cravalho, and masked country star Orville Peck opposite Tony nominee Eva Noblezada.

Olivier winner, Bad Education star and Strictly finalist Williams took over the role of the Emcee. The performance marked Williams’ first West End performance in over two years, and he was the first Black performer to play the Emcee in this revival. Williams was joined by Heartstopper star Rhea Norwood in her West End debut. 

The show was nominated for nine awards at the 77th annual Tony Awards, nabbing one win for Scenic Design for designer Tom Scutt. 

Emmy winner and Pose superstar Billy Porter took on the role of Emcee, making his London theatre debut. Porter may be known for his larger-than-life TV personality, but he previously won both a Tony and a Grammy for his performance as Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway. Sally was played by London-based American actress and Olivier nominee Marisha Wallace, who is best known for her roles in Oklahoma, Waitress, and Dreamgirls.  

Viral comedy sensation and My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) star Rob Madge became the second non-binary actor to tackle the role of the Emcee, opposite model, actor and Bridgerton star Hannah Dodds in her West End debut.

Eva Noblezada reprised her role as Sally, having previously performed the part on Broadway, but this time she was joined by her fiancé Reeve Carney as the Emcee. The Tony nominees previously originated the roles of lovers Orpheus and Eurydice in Hadestown. Noblezada and Carney actually took a scheduled break during their Cabaret run, from late October to early November, to tie the knot in New Orleans, before finishing up their run as newlyweds!

The Broadway production closed after 18 previews and 592 performances. Billy Porter and Marisha Wallace reprised their roles from the London run from 22 July, and were scheduled to perform until the end of September. The show was sadly forced to close a few weeks early when Porter was rushed to hospital with sepsis – he’s since made a full recovery! 

Busted guitarist, I’m A Celebrity star and singer-songwriter Matt Willis returned to the West End as the Emcee. This marked Willis’s first foray into theatre in almost five years, and he performed opposite musical theatre actress Katie Hall, who has appeared in Les Mis, Sweeney Todd and Phantom of the Opera, as Sally. 

West End superstar Jamie Muscato tackles the role of the Emcee until September. Best known for his roles in The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge and Heathers, Muscato is an Olivier nominee. Starring opposite Muscato as Sally is American actress Joy Woods, making her West End debut. Woods is a Tony and Grammy nominee whose previous roles include SIX, The Notebook and Gypsy on Broadway. 

The role of Emcee will be played by Pitch Perfect and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s Skylar Astin, opposite Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland as Sally. Hyland is best known for her Critics’ Choice Award-winning TV role, but is no stranger to the stage, having performed in The Great Gatsby and Just In Time on Broadway. Both in their UK Theatre debuts. Joining the pair is theatre legend Ruthie Henshall as Fraulein Schneider.  

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club will celebrate five ”wunderbar” years on stage in London this November. But that’s not all, as 2026 marks a jaw-dropping 60 years for the production as a whole. A special anniversary event is planned on this date, but details are currently strictly secret. Keep your eyes peeled for more details!