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”

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.

BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARETS – ALFIE FRIEDMAN

Charing Cross Theatre

Reviewed on 11th July 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

STILETTO | ★★★★ | March 2025

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: WHAT A WHOPPER! | ★★★ | November 2024

TATTOOER | ★★★ | October 2024

ONE SMALL STEP | ★★ | October 2024

MARIE CURIE | ★★★ | June 2024

BRONCO BILLY – THE MUSICAL | ★★★ | January 2024

SLEEPING BEAUTY TAKES A PRICK! | ★★★★ | November 2023

REBECCA | ★★★★ | September 2023

GEORGE TAKEI’S ALLEGIANCE | ★★★★ | January 2023

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY | ★★★★ | November 2022

BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARETS

★★★★

“these young actors never fall behind as they steer the piece through its minefield of rock ‘n’ roll angst”

When it first woke up Broadway, with a shake of the shoulders, over a decade ago, “Spring Awakening” deflowered the musical theatre form and won eight Tony awards. It was a breath of fresh air and although based on Frank Wedekind’s play from 1891, with its rock infused score it brings Wedekind’s indictment of how kids are mistreated and ignored into the twenty-first century. The British Theatre Academy’s revival at the Stockwell Playhouse, maintains this tradition and is an obvious choice to showcase the talent of these young actors.

It is Germany in the 1890s, a world where the adults hold all the cards, and the classroom of pubescent teenagers are confused, excited, and anxious. The beautiful young Wendla (Charlotte Coe) explores the mysteries of her body, wondering where babies come from while blaming her tight-lipped mother for her ignorance. Meanwhile the fearless and free-thinking Melchior (Max Harwood) placates his buddy, Moritz (James Knudsen), traumatised by puberty in the face of the elders’ repressive morals. The children’s latent sexual feelings all emerge in a haywire hotchpotch of sadomasochistic confusion and, without the guidance they desperately need, there’s tears before bedtime – to say the least. The subject matter doesn’t shy away from controversy. As late as 1965, Wedekind’s original treatment of teenage sex, abortion, parental abuse, depression and suicide was heavily censored and described as “one of the most loathsome and depraved plays I have ever read” by an assessor in the Lord Chamberlain’s office.

Because the themes are still relevant today there is always going to be a distinctly modern feel to this piece. Although here it is also down to the energy and sparkling spirit of the twenty-one strong cast. Supported by a full sounding five-piece band they handle the material with a maturity that belies the teen-rebel lyrics. Admittedly they are given a head start with Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s thrillingly anachronistic score, that mixes seductive melancholy with pop-punk grittiness, but these young actors never fall behind as they steer the piece through its minefield of rock ‘n’ roll angst.

At the helm are Harwood’s Melchior and Coe’s Wendla, their voices rising above the turmoil as they grapple with their anxious souls and unschooled seductions. They are kept aloft by the shining ensemble, from which some voices definitely stand out, particularly the underused James Dodd as Ernst (who’s crying out for more of the libretto) and Jamie Heward as the cross-dressing Hänschen.

It is a feast for the ears, but we never really feel the force of the emotional punch. Inevitably much of the subtlety and the shading of Wedekind’s original text are going to be sacrificed while making room for the musical numbers. Nevertheless, we’re not looking for an intricate insight into the character’s psychology here. Wedekind’s play will provide that. Although I would have liked to have felt more moved by these disparate and desperate individuals as they tread their doom-laden path. The impact is musical, not dramatic, but we leave the space re-awakened to the power of song, thanks to this dedicated and gifted cast.

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Eliza Wilmot

Tag Archives: Duncan Sheik

BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARETS – ALFIE FRIEDMAN

★★★★

Charing Cross Theatre

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”