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Chat Noir

 
Max Allen Review by Max Allen 4 Published: 30 Apr 2026 The Lost Estate Show Dates: 24 Mar 2026-31 Jul 2026

Chat Noir marks a departure from the typical formula at The Lost Estate, ushering us into a bohemian celebration of emotion and art: electrifying and energising, rather than merely entertaining and fortifying.

By the end, I was no longer a critic observing the evening, but a simple denizen of Chat Noir.

That said, the tried-and-true method of The Lost Estate’s previous offerings is not entirely abandoned. Guests are still treated to good food, served by energetic, in-character staff, all within an atmospheric and beautifully realised space, complete with every trappings of 1890s Paris one could imagine.

With a room dressed to the nines, we were utterly enthralled by the performances and encouraged to bellow, respond, and participate in the increasingly lively atmosphere shaped by ringmaster and host Joe Morrow as Rodolphe Salis. Funny, infectiously clever, and relentlessly energetic, he banters with performers, quips with the audience, and drives each segment forward with ferocious enthusiasm.

The evening’s entertainment features a Muse (Issy Wroe Wright), Dancer (Coco Belle), Mime (Alexander Luttley), and Magician (Neil Kelso), each taking the stage both individually and together to titillate us with their respective talents. These classic cabaret performances are underscored, quite literally, by a brilliant band of musicians whose constant presence adds to the sense of immediacy and life in the room.

Every performer and musician remains fully engaged throughout the three-hour runtime, reacting, bantering, and playing with us in a way that keeps the energy high and steadily building toward a fittingly bohemian finale.

Throughout the evening, Morrow urges us to shed our inhibitions and surrender to the experience. Despite my instinct to resist such instruction, I found myself doing exactly that. From course to course, including my first taste of period-appropriate absinthe, complete with sugar cube and slotted spoon, I was swept up in the fanfare. By the end, I was no longer a critic observing the evening, but a simple denizen of Chat Noir.

There is very little plot, the performers are not always given enough time to fully settle into their acts, and the stage occasionally feels too small for the possible scale of their craft. Yet none of this detracts in any truly meaningful way. The links between food, drink, atmosphere, and performance feel intentional and cohesive, and it is clear that a great deal of thought has gone into every choice presented to us.

Midway through the evening, just after the main course, the frenetic pace softens into a more imagistic and reflective sequence. This shift is welcome, tying together the energy of the opening and the chaos of the finale. Highlights include the surprising wit accompanying Neil Kelso’s awe-inspiring illusions, and the sharp, interactive humour of Alexander Luttley’s mime work.

There is a risk that the constant promises of abandoning social norms and throwing caution to the wind could fall flat in what is, at its core, a commercial offering. However, the humour - particularly the vulgar cat poem - along with the overall tone of the performances, fully delivers on that promise. I did not feel short-changed in the least.

If a trip to Paris feels out of reach, you do not speak French, or you simply want an incredibly enjoyable and decadent departure from your usual night at the pub, Chat Noir at The Lost Estate is a brilliant place to go.

Amir Nisi

Max Allen

Max Allen is an award-winning writer and performer whose acclaimed work has been staged across the UK and Europe. His debut play, FRAT, played to sold-out audiences in London and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He has a keen interest in emerging theatre, which continues to inspire and inform his own creative practice.

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The Blurb:

Time travel to the 1890s and step inside legendary night-club Le Chat Noir. Become the bohemians and aristocrats of Paris and enter a candlelit world of glittering cabaret, bohemian pleasures, vintage cuisine and live music.

Step through the doors of CHAT NOIR! and London disappears. You find yourself inside the legend itself—Le Chat Noir, the infamous club lost for over a century. This temple of art and anarchy, this sanctuary for the beautifully unhinged, has been re-imagined in lavish and fantastical detail by “immersive heavyweights” The Lost Estate—velvet drapes, candlelit tables, glittering aristocrats, the restless spirits of Bohemian Montmartre in every corner.

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