★★★★

“A candid performer, he lets us into his world. His unique personality sets him on a tightrope, yet he is fearless in his performance”

Curated by Janie Dee, ‘Beautiful World Cabarets’ is a series of musical evenings running at the Charing Cross Theatre. Featuring nearly twenty artists, with special guests, eighteen concerts are being intimately performed, ostensibly reflecting the world we live in and focusing on the individual artist’s place in that world. Following on from a season at Crazy Coqs, the series is presented in partnership with the London Climate Change Festival, but we needn’t worry about this limiting the performer’s selection of words and music to explore the topics. The mix is as eclectic as the line-up, and each artist is unique enough to stretch the brief to its limits.

And none come more unique than Alfie Friedman. Following a heartfelt introduction by Dee, Friedman casually, yet assuredly, saunters onto the stage. His three-piece backing band, led by pianist and Musical Director John Haslam, are already in place laying down the jazz, opening chords of Declan O’Rourke’s ‘Galileo’. ‘Who puts the rainbow in the sky?’ he asks during the achingly beautiful number that epitomises Friedman’s take on the evening. ‘Love can make you ask some funny questions now and then’. A mixture of wonderment and angst-filled bemusement, Friedman has the wisdom to know that there are no immediate answers, but also the youthful integrity to explore the impossible questions through a set list that turns this evening into pure entertainment. The repertoire borders on chaotic but somehow it blends into a cohesive song cycle. Who else could segue from Sondheim to Sci-fi in just a few semi-quavers?

In a song list that takes in Rebecca Sugar (‘It’s Over Isn’t It?’ from the Steven Universe Cartoon Network series), Keane’s ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ and an excerpt from Yojiro Ichikawa and Eden Tredwell’s “Galaxy Train” musical, it is Stephen Sondheim that dominates. Friedman is an astute interpreter of his work, exhibiting unrivalled control over the intricacies of the melodies and the nuances of the storytelling. A highlight is ‘Franklin Shepard, Inc’ from “Merrily We Roll Along” with its mix of virtuosity and humour allowing Friedman’s talents and stagecraft to truly shine. He is joined onstage, during ‘Gee, Officer Krupke’ by guest singers Sam Sayan and Eileen MacDonald. Later they each have a solo moment in the spotlight: a gorgeous rendition of Craig Carnelia’s ‘Flight’ from MacDonald, while Sayan weaves his velvet voice around Sondheim’s ‘Being Alive’ from “Company”.

Friedman talks a lot about the world being disconnected. His anecdotal banter is polished, and rehearsed to a tee, but each word counts. He talks with true emotion about the need to re-establish human connection. Up close, we see the concern in his eyes. Janie Dee returns to the stage to enact with him a scene from the critically acclaimed “Laughing Boy” they both starred in last year, which precedes a brief discourse on the tragic real-life story of Connor Sparrowhawk who died in NHS care. Friedman doesn’t preach – he just gets us to think about the issues. Words are projected onto the back wall of the stage. Words that reflect the human condition. ‘What the Hell is my condition?’ Friedman asks, ‘nothing makes sense’. What’s it all about, Alfie? (Apologies – I couldn’t resist it. And, no, he certainly didn’t sing that one). We can all relate to that, but one thing for sure is that he makes sense. And it makes perfect sense for him to be up on that stage showcasing his talents as a singer and raconteur. The world may be disconnected, but Friedman connects with his audience.

We cannot help feeling that Janie Dee’s ‘Beautiful World Cabarets’ will become a regular feature on the cabaret scene. We also feel sure that we will be seeing a lot more of Alfie Friedman. A candid performer, he lets us into his world. His unique personality sets him on a tightrope, yet he is fearless in his performance. Cool and furious at the same time. Skilful and emotional simultaneously. With a voice to match. ‘Who lights the stars at night?’, he sings during the opening number. Way before the closing number he has answered his own question for us.

STILETTO

Charing Cross Theatre

★★★★

“a luscious musical that intrigues and teases with, rather than pulls, our heartstring”

The first thing you notice about the new musical, “Stiletto”, is the opulence of Ceci Calf’s set. Dimly lit in the pre-show, it depicts not so much a Venetian palazzo but something more subterranean. You almost expect ripples of light, cast from the canal waters, to dapple from above. It is moody, portentous and atmospheric. The musical itself follows suit. Consistently soul-stirring, grandiose and lush, it looks and sounds exceptional. A balcony circles the stage behind its proscenium arch, like a minstrel’s gallery. In the shadows we can make out the silhouettes of the fifteen-piece orchestra. A cast of seventeen grace the stage, yet Chris Baldock’s musical staging never makes it appear crowded. From the opening dramatic bars of music, we know we are in for something grand. There is a danger that the show might take itself too seriously. A feeling, however, which soon dissipates under David Gilmore’s pacey and fresh direction.

We are in Venice in the early part of the eighteenth century. Marco Borroni (Jack Chambers) is on the cusp of stardom. He is a ‘castrato’, which means he was castrated before puberty to preserve his soprano voice. Apparently, the process not only keeps the vocals skills intact, but it also in no way diminishes his pleasure-giving prowess – as his siren-like patron, the Contessa Azurra (Kelly Hampson), seductively points out. Meanwhile Marco meets feisty Gioia (Jewelle Hutchinson), a slave’s daughter, in the market square. His lust is turned into sheer wonder when he hears her sing, and he vows to sweep her up from the gutter into his own impending rise to fame and fortune. Of course, there are snags. In this case an accidental death, an ensuing scapegoat bound for the hangman’s noose (i.e. Gioia – that’s no spoiler by the way), a corrupt judicial system, and the predictable battle between good and bad – the underdog and the powerful. Tim Luscombe’s book follows a formulaic narrative, but there is a quirkiness and modernism to the dialogue, much of which swings effortlessly in time to the musical preludes.

The plot may be a touch thin, but Matthew Wilder’s score is as ripe and succulent as they come. Wilder generously gives each major character a solo moment in the spotlight, but he also allows the full ensemble to shine throughout. This could almost be a sung-through musical and often has that feel – the underscore subtly echoing the songs. Simon Nathan’s orchestrations highlight the variations; from a quiet harp-accompanied ballad through to the full pageantry of sweeping ensemble numbers. There are many musical highlights and just as many performance highlights. Chambers, as Marco, has a natural flair, mixing innocence with passion, carnality with self-righteousness. And a voice to match – particularly when standing alone, closing the first act with a gorgeously delivered ‘The Wanting’, or lamenting the tragic figure of his tutor Faustino (a rich-toned Greg Barnett). Jennie Jacobs stands in as a masked mezzo soprano whenever Marco is called upon to demonstrate the ‘castrato’ voice. Kelly Hampson’s Contessa Azurra is a force to be reckoned with, standing up to her corrupt yet camp husband, Pietro (a wonderful Douglas Hansell). Hampson’s solo number, ‘Amore Mio’ has a bond-theme quality, but with more interesting time signatures and shifts in tone.

There are surprises, too. When Connor Wood, as the mute Niccolo, finds his voice at a crucial moment in the story we are quite taken aback by his singing voice during ‘No Words’; and Sam Barrett’s down-trodden Luigi blossoms as he turns saviour and vocal raconteur extraordinaire with his solo number ‘Go Along’. But the one to watch out for is Jewelle Hutchinson, stealing the show whenever she walks on stage as Gioia. Spirited and ballsy (ironic given her paramour’s deficiency in that department), Hutchinson lets Gioia’s vulnerability cut through as well. And all the while her rich, wide-ranged vocals pierce our hearts.

The performances bring a heightened energy to the stage that befits the setting and the storyline. Cementing the sense of period are Anna Kelsey’s glorious and flamboyant costumes. Passion is the key word for this show. And drama. Sometimes melodrama slips in which, if you’re not paying attention, can hide the flaws in the narrative. It does feel as though a trick or two is missed, and certain themes are underexplored while the finale comes a little too quickly and too forced. That frustration aside, this is a luscious musical that intrigues and teases with, rather than pulls, our heartstrings. Full of light and shade, musically as well as visually, it might not penetrate quite as deeply or cleanly as a stiletto, but it certainly gets under your skin.

BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARETS – ALFIE FRIEDMAN

Charing Cross Theatre

★★★★

“A candid performer, he lets us into his world. His unique personality sets him on a tightrope, yet he is fearless in his performance”

BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARETS – ALFIE FRIEDMAN

Charing Cross Theatre

Reviewed on 11th July 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARETS

BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARETS

BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARETS

STILETTO

Charing Cross Theatre

★★★★

“a luscious musical that intrigues and teases with, rather than pulls, our heartstring”

STILETTO

Charing Cross Theatre

Reviewed on 31st March 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Johan Persson

Previously reviewed at this venue:

STILETTO

STILETTO

STILETTO

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