The producers of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club have announced that from Monday 25 September 2023, the roles of The Emcee and Sally Bowles will be played by music icons Jake Shears and Rebecca Lucy Taylor AKA Self Esteem. They join Nathan Ives-Moiba as Clifford Bradshaw, Beverley Klein as Fraulein Schneider and Teddy Kempner as Herr Schultz.
One of the most successful musicals of all time
Jake Shears said “It is my privilege and honour to play the Emcee in this incredible show. I am especially excited to be sharing the stage with the force that is Self Esteem. This role has been a lifetime dream of mine and I couldn’t imagine a better production of it to be a part of.”
Rebecca Lucy Taylor said “I’ve never made a secret of my love of theatre and I honestly couldn’t be more excited about getting to make my stage debut as one of the greatest leads of all time. I’ve joked for years that there’s no need for a Self Esteem musical really because Sally’s story covers most of the points and here we are. I am both artistically and emotionally raring to take on this challenge. Pinch me!”
Singer, songwriter, actor and writer Jake Shears is best known as the lead singer of the multiplatinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, Brit award-winning glam rock band Scissor Sisters. Born in Arizona, Jake grew up in the Seattle area before moving to New York City, where he studied fiction writing at The New School. He wrote the music for Tales of the City, a 2011 stage musical based on Armistead Maupin's best-selling book series of the same name before starring in Bent at the Taper Forum in 2015. In 2018 he released his debut book, the memoir Boys Keep Swinging and joined the cast of Kinky Boots on Broadway in the lead role as Charlie Price - a role he reprised in 2022 at LA’s Hollywood Bowl. In August 2018 Jake Shears released his eponymous debut solo album to critical acclaim, followed by tours in the UK and US, and in Australia with Kylie Minogue. 2023 saw the release of Jake’s second studio album Last Man Dancing. Jake has recently co-written the music for the new musical Tammy Faye alongside Elton John which has just sold out its initial run at London’s Almeida Theatre and won two Olivier Awards. When not on the road, Jake divides his time between London and New Orleans.
As Self Esteem, Rebecca Lucy Taylor has become the unapologetic pop star she always wanted to be. With her 2019 statement debut Compliments Please, Taylor gave voice to the feelings of insecurity and misogyny-induced frustration that many of us face every day, emboldening a whole new audience with powerful, truth-telling lyricism. Her second album Prioritise Pleasure arrived to universal critical acclaim, crowned both The Guardian and Sunday Times Culture’s Album of the Year, with the empowering I Do This All The Time. As an actor, Taylor played a cameo role in I Hate Suzie Too, and will soon be seen starring in a regular role in Sky’s upcoming series Smothered as well as making her feature film debut in Layla.
This unique production of Cabaret opened in December 2021 to critical and audience acclaim, widely praised as the ultimate theatrical experience. In April 2022 the production won a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards, the most for any musical revival in Olivier history. The production has also won three prestigious Critics Circle Awards as well as the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Design for designer Tom Scutt.
Transforming one of London’s most famous theatres with an in-the-round auditorium and reimagined spaces, before the show guests are invited to enjoy and explore the Kit Kat Club with pre-show entertainment, drinks and dining all on offer. When booking, guests receive a 'club entry time' to allow enough time to take in the world of the Kit Kat Club before the show starts. But of course, the show really starts when you first join us in the club…
One of the most successful musicals of all time Cabaret features the songs Wilkommen, Don’t Tell Mama, Mein Herr, Maybe This Time, Money and the title number. It has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Joe Masteroff. Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood.
Cabaret is directed by Rebecca Frecknall, set and costume design is by Tom Scutt with choreography by Julia Cheng. Musical supervision is by Jennifer Whyte and musical direction is by Ben Ferguson with lighting design by Isabella Byrd and sound design by Nick Lidster. The casting director is Stuart Burt and the associate director and prologue director is Jordan Fein. The prologue composer and musical director is Angus MacRae.
