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meet the new stars of CABARET... | Rob Madge and Hannah Dodd to star in the West End revival
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Mickey Jo
I am here to tell you that I think the Gavroche to MC Pipeline makes an extraordinary amount of sense and we should be paying more attention to it. Ville Kommen. Bienvenue. Oh my God. Hey, welcome back to my theatre themed YouTube channel. Or hello to you if you are listening to my voice on podcast platforms. My name is Mickey Jo and I am obsessed with all things theatre and today is a very exciting day because we have just learned who will be taking over the iconic roles of the MC and Sally Bowles in the ongoing West End revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club later this year. The production, which opened a few years ago originally starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley, currently features Marisha Wallace and Billy Porter in these leading roles and it has now been announced that Hannah Dodd and Rob Madge are the next to take over. Very different casting to the current occupants of the roles. Also very different to the current casting over on Broadway where in the same production at the August Wilson Theatre, Eva Noblezada and Orville Peck are playing those roles. But it's also particularly exciting for a handful of reasons that I would like to discuss today. So if you know nothing about this production, I'll give you a little bit of background very briefly because I'm aware I talk about Cabaret here. I've seen the show upwards of 10 times at this point, I think, and if you don't know these performers, we're going to get to know them together. But if you are at all curious about this revival then I've reviewed it both here in the West End and over on Broadway already on my channel on podcast platforms. I've also talked about the recent replacement cast. If you want to know what Marisha and Billy are like in the show, I've talked about them as well. If you want to know what it's currently like in New York, then you can also find my thoughts on that. But in the meantime I let's talk about the upcoming MC and Sally Bowles, Hannah Dodd and Rob Madge. I said those names the wrong way around. Rob Madge and Hannah Dodd. Rob isn't playing Sally, Hannah's not playing the mc. As fun as that would be. Hey, maybe once a week. I'm open to the idea as always. I would love to know what you think in the comments section down below, especially if you're finding this video a little further down the line and they've already started performances. For those of you right now in real time, what do you think these performances are going to be like? For those of you watching from the future? Let us know. In the meantime, here are my thoughts on the next casting for Cabaret. So Cabaret, to my mind, one of the greatest book musicals of all time. It's based on the play I Am a Camera, which in turn is based on the Christopher Isherwood novel Goodbye to Berlin. It was adapted for film with Joel Gray and Liza Minnelli. And there have been a handful of different iconic stage productions. There was a particularly prolific revival by Sam Mendes that started here in Lond, London, but then enjoyed significant success over in New York starring Alan Cumming, both times around. Back here in London, meanwhile, a revival by Rufus Norris in the mid 2000s subsequently toured around the country for many years before in late 2021, director Rebecca Frecknell took over the Playhouse Theatre, reconceiving it as the Kitkat Club in an atmospheric, semi immersive revival of the show co conceived by and starring Hollywood star Eddie Redmayne as the MC alongside the brilliant Jesse Buckley. They were fantastic. Still remember when they were in the show and people were talking about how great these performances were and you know, they were saying for such a prestigious show and for these huge roles and for these amazing Olivier Award winning performances, I mean, it swept the Oliviers that year with all four acting categories as well as the show winning best revival. People were saying, how on earth are they going to replace these two? It's going to need a list casting. And the show has been very clever in terms of its replacement casting because they were succeeded by Fra Fee and Amy Lennox, both of whom have worked on screen, but who have also had huge success on the stage. And ever since we have seen Cabaret bringing in a lot of brilliant names who really deliver the goods. There are varying amounts of stage experience. You know, you get some actors like Luke Treadaway and Adam Gillan who have worked a little bit on screen but are more known for their stage roles. Leighton Williams and John McCrae probably also fit into that category. Then you have those who are comparatively newer to the world of stage acting, like Cara Delevingne, supermodel Cara Delevingne, who has acted a little, but not on stage before. Also the singer Self Esteem, also Jake Shears, some of whom I've had the chance to see in the show. There have also been the likes of Callum Scott Howells and Mason Alexander park and Maud Apatow and Amy Lewitt and so many brilliant performers. I'm forgetting a handful here. Fast forward to Marisha Wallace and Billy Porter and you know, the few cast that there have been on Broadway with The ones I already mentioned, as well as Adam Lambert and Ali Cravaglio. And, you know, we've had so many diverse talents in the show who have had the opportunity, because the material in the production is quite malleable, to adapt it to their own skill sets and bring a little more of their own interpretations to the characters, particularly with the mc. So let's talk first of all about Rob Madge as the mc. Now, there's a few reasons why this is particularly exciting. Rob is a beloved West End talent whose solo show My Sons Are Queer. But what can you do? Started life in this small off West End theater called the Turbine, which sadly no longer exists as a theatrical venue. But it made its way to the West End. It captured the hearts of so many people in the queer community and the theatrical community it was set to transfer to Broadway. Sadly, that didn't end up materializ, but it is going to get the New York run that it deserves in the middle of June of this year at New York City Center. I will let you know the dates because that's going to come up again later on in this discussion. And not to dwell on that particular professional setback, but it's great to see Rob, you know, on the back of that, getting these really exciting opportunities, leading a revival of the play Buyer and Seller at the King's Head Theatre and then getting to play the MC in Cabaret, which they've said is a dream role. And Rob is someone who is so easy to root for, a really wonderful human being with a very remarkable and special kind of charisma to all of their stage performances, who also advocate for really important things, for inclusivity, for acceptance of the queer community, of the trans community. Rob is also the latest of a handful of non binary performers to be a part of this production. I've had the chance to see a few different non binary performers play the MC in multiple versions of Cabaret. And I think there are roles in which that aspect of a performer's identity is scarcely a factor. And there are also roles in which it enhances something a little bit. And, you know, the MC is a character who is scarcely defined by their own individual characteristics, at least in this production. There have been previous versions, like the Sam Mendes version, that focused on the MC's tangible identity. And here the MC has always felt a little bit more representative of a concept. Does the MC represent a community of people? Does the MC represent the city of Berlin? Does the MC represent the country of Germany in the way that we see their aesthetic shifting over the course of this two act show with all of the different costuming and makeup. Makeup that happens. A little more background on Rob. For those of you who don't know their history, they actually began their professional career as a child actor. As Michael Banks in Mary Poppins, as a Gavroche in Les Miserables. If you've seen the 25th anniversary concert recording of Les Mis at the O2 arena with Alfie Bow and Nick Jonas, Rob is the amazing Gavroche in that production, who I thought was incredible for years before I had the chance to meet them and then see them performing as an adult. Also as the Artful Dodger in a revival of Oliver. And I think there's a quality in both of those two young characters, less so in Michael Banks, who is pretty much just, you know, trying to figure out what's going on with the random woman flying into his house via umbrella. But Equality in Dodger and Gavroche, who are already very similar in which, you know, they address the audience, and there is a kind of a showmanship to those characters as well. I think there is certainly a pipeline here from great Gavroche to really great MC that I would like to see explored more. I'm not saying that every actor who has played Gavroche, looking at you, Nick Jonas, should automatically be an emcee, although Jonathan Bailey, I'd be intrigued. But given how great Rob was in that role and also leading other shows where they address the audience, not just their solo show My Sons are Queer, but what can you do? But also in the Palladium Pantomime, where they've been a regular performer for the last few years, speaking to the audience and, you know, leading with charisma and this very broad delivery on this huge stage, I think that stands them in awfully good stead for this hugely theatrical role the MC carries the weight of in this production in particular from the very beginning, and has to drag us into the world of the KitKat club. Here's another thought, because while we've seen many different MCs, one of the most celebrated on stage in the show's history is Alan Cumming, who won the Tony Award, who reprised his performance in a remounting of that production in New York years down the line after first doing it at the Donmar Warehouse. And I think of every single actor who has played the MC in Rebecca Frecknell's version of the show, Rob feels perhaps the closest to Alan Cumming. The way that they navigate stage performance in their character and their delivery, I think this might be something quite Special and quite proximal to Alan's version of the character. In the same way that there were a lot of marked similarities between Fra Fee's MC and Eddie Redmayne's mc. And that notion makes me particularly excited about the way that Robb might navigate this characterization. I think Mason Alexander park also feels like someone who is in the orbit of that particular school of MC as well, while their own very unique take on the role, which I'm sure Rob will as well. But I think, you know, it's a great realm to sort of be in as a performer. It's why I can see Rob very readily in this role. And yet in terms of physicality, it's going to be really interesting because already right now, globally, you have Billy Porter doing it on one side of the Atlantic and you have Orville Peck doing it on the other side of the Atlantic. They have very different physicality and Orville has brought a kind of a masculinity and a dominance to the role that I hadn't seen previously whatsoever. It really startled me and it really worked. And Rob Madge is going to have a very, very different physical quality because Rob is of shorter stature. So those moments where we see the MC given the opportunity to be menacing and insidious, very interested to see how that goes. There's also one particular performance flashing on my mind. I think it was a Rolls Will Never Play concert where Rob sang Naughty from Matilda, a show that Rob had performed in as a child actor, but played a role that was cut during the out of Town out rip. But that particular performance, as I remember, turned into something of a protest in support of trans rights. And Rob was like brandishing a flag that they produced on stage and denouncing recent comments made by the then Conservative Prime Minister. Obviously, now everything's fine and we live in a much better place for trans people. I'm joking, it's the apocalypse. But I can so see the particular passion that Rob is going to bring to those act. Two moments and two, I don't care much. Which has come to be the sort of defining moment for each of these MCs. It's a. It's a really big moment in the show. Now, in terms of dates before I carry on, this feels important to say. They are joining from 29th May 2025 and both of their final performances, Rob's and Hannah's, will be on Saturday 20th September 2025. The runs for the principal pairs are considerably shorter here in the UK than they've been over on Broadway. And I should note that Rob Madge is not scheduled to appear from Monday 9 June to Monday 16 June inclusive. It's during that time that Rob performing their show My Son's a Queer. But what can you do at New York City Center? If you're New York based, watching this video or listening to this on podcast platforms for whatever reason, then please consider going to see that. It's a really beautiful and touching piece of theater, very meaningful to the queer community or anyone related to a member of the queer community. And according to this press release, Rob will also not be appearing on Tuesday 16th September for reasons that I don't know. I don't know everything, contrary to popular opinion. Now let's talk about Hannah Dodd. And this is going to be a learning moment for me today because this is not a performer who I was previously familiar with. And it can go that way sometimes with cabaret casting because they draw on the world of musical theater talent. But these producers, very smart producers when it comes to casting these leads have also been bringing in people from the T film world. We've had a lot of alumni of like Heartstopper and sex education. And Hannah Dodd is best known as the alumnus of another very popular Netflix series, Bridgerton. She appeared in the third season as Francesca Bridgerton. Did Netflix have money in cabaret at the KitKat Club in the West End or is this just a wild coincidence? I mean they should. At this point I'd invest. She's described here as a rising UK star. Hannah trained in musical theatre. There you go. And dance. At London Studio Centre, where she graduated straight into her first acting role, playing one of the series Find Me in Paris for Disney, Nickelodeon and Hulu, continuing in the role for a further two seasons. A lot of these performers do this. They train in theater and specifically musical theater and they go straight into screen work. And then they don't always have a chance to go back to the stage. So it's nice when they do and it's nice when you see performers who have like had those bigger opportunities. And I say bigger because they're making better money. I'll be completely honest with you, I don't know how much they get paid to lead cabaret. It's probably, probably quite decent. But in general screen work pays better than being on stage in the West End. And you know, I'm thinking about performers like Taron Egerton who become huge screen stars and then it becomes very rare to see them on stage again. That's why it's so nice when someone like Jonathan Bailey returns to the stage, when they don't necessarily have to, when they're courting all of these different huge screen projects. But I interrupted myself. I will carry on Hannah also featured in a recurring role in two seasons of the highly popular Hulu series Harlots. She played the younger version of series lead Sienna Miller in the Netflix series Anatomy of a Scandal. She also played the infamous Corinne Foxworth in the miniseries Flowers in the Attic, the Origins for Lifetime, an adaptation of the highly popular and controversial books. I famously don't watch television because I'm at the theatre every single night. As I sit here filming this, I need to leave in about 35, 40 minutes to go and see a play, and that's why I'm not familiar with any of these. But if you know Hannah Dodd from her screen work, please let us know in the comments down below what we can look forward to about her. Sally Bowles we're not done with the bio though. At the end of 2022, Hannah was back on Netflix playing a major role in Enola Holmes 2 alongside Millie Bobby Brown, which was the platform's number one film in 71 countries. Yay for them. Her other film credits include Marvel's Eternals, I saw Eternals. I'm gonna have to Google this. Was she playing someone's child and fighting with my family and family secrets? Most recently, she can be seen in the Road Trip for Paramount plus plus and is currently filming season four of Bridgerton Cabaret, though, marks Hannah's West End and stage debut. So trained in musical theater and dance, but has been so busy working on all of these major TV projects that this is actually going to be a West End and stage debut, which is a really big moment. Now there are some dates here when Hannah Dodd is not scheduled to appear in the production. They include the matinee on Wednesday the 4th of June, the evening performance on Thursday the 12th of June the Wednesday matinee on the 18th, the evening of Thursday the Wednesday matinee on the 2nd of July the evening on Thursday 10th. You can see a pattern here. Matinee on Wednesday 16th evening on Thursday 24th of July, Wednesday 30th of July matinee Thursday 7th of August evening Wednesday 13th of August matinee Thursday 21st of August evening Wednesday 27th of August 2:00pm, Thursday the 4th of September 7:30pm, Wednesday 10th of September 2:00pm and Thursday the 18th of September 7:30pm so essentially she's doing seven shows a week with an alternate doing the eighth performance. That alternate is Anne Marie Wojn, but it's not a set performance. Every week it is alternating between a Wednesday matinee and a Thursday evening. So it seems like she's not having to take time away for the filming of Bridgerton Season 4, because I think that's filming right now and may have ended. I don't know enough about filming schedules, but I'm pretty sure I saw something about Jonathan Bailey. Oh, no, Jonathan Bailey's in Richard II right now. When is Bridgerton filming? I don't know anything. All I know is I went to Bath where they do a lot of their filming earlier this month, and I did not see any cameras except for the one that I was holding in my hands. Maybe I was filming Bridgerton and I had no idea. In any. Any case, while I know very little about Hannah Dodd as a performer, I'm very excited to see her Sally Bowles, because I think the concept of someone making their stage debut with this role, you know, it must be hugely intimidating because it's a huge musical theatre role. But just like when Cara Delevingne did it, I think that freshness and that raw quality can really lend themselves to the characterization that works for Sally. And I think young performers in the role work very well because there's a level of vulnerability and naivety that they can bring to it that also work. As I said, though, please feel free to weigh in in the comments, those more familiar with Hannah Dawes performances about why you're excited to see her as Sally Bowles. In any case, I cannot wait to go back to this production. This is going to be my 13th visit. I think at this point, I've objectively lost track of how many times I have been to the KitKat club. All I know is I need to come up with yet another outfit because I refuse to go into that glorious, stunning, stylish venue wherein just anything else I'd wear on the street. We once again need to come up with something to wear to a Cabaret gala. And if I get the chance to go and see this next cast at Cab, you can bet I will be back here letting you know about both of their performances. I really hope I get a chance to go and support Rob because they've. They've been very supportive to me, actually, over the last year, and so I'm very much looking forward to getting to applaud them as the mc. Do you have plans to get tickets to go and see this next combination of casting at Cabaret? Let me know along with all your other thoughts in the comments. And thank you so much for listening to this exciting West End Theatre News update. I will be back very soon with more West End and Broadway news with more reviews. Make sure you're subscribed and of following me on podcast platforms. In the meantime, I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey day. For 10 more seconds, I'm Mickey Joe Theater. Oh my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day. Subscribe.