Review: Come to the Cabaret, Fringe 2025

If you’re looking for some classic American musical cabaret performances, Come to the Cabaret is the right show for you. The Thistle Theatre @ Greenside Riddles Court filled up quickly, and I’m pretty sure it was a full house!

Vibe

The California Musical Theatre Ensemble has put together a selection of traditional musical cabaret, so get yourself comfy and prepare for an hour of pure cabaret bliss. The show is described as thus:

“The allure, grit and glam of the American musical stage. A raunchy revue where the music is hot, the truths are harder and the lipstick never smudges. This incredible musical revue has suggestive, hard biting themes. See California’s rising talent at their hottest!”

The show itself

This is a seamless, tightly-run show with slick performances and brilliant vocal skills.

At the beginning, you’re sometimes aware of the fact there’s no mics, and a couple of notes feel a bit drowned out by the music – the show then kind of settled into itself, and I enjoyed every second.

There’s musical numbers and classic showtunes from the likes of Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Sweet Charity, A Chorus Line, Something Rotten, and many, many more! Sometimes there’s a hint of burlesque, others there’s pure energy and physical skill. Each performance is pulled off with the ease, and we’re left in pure awe.

I was particularly impressed with the few Phantom of the Opera songs, because it wasn’t something I was necessarily expecting, however it was performed exquisitely well by everyone involved – particularly the part of Christine.

There wasn’t a part of this show I didn’t love. Well done, California Musical Theatre Ensemble!

Overall

This show is a delight for the lovers of musical cabaret – a pure chocolate box of yummy performances, encapsulating the spirit of American musical theatre. You come for a show, and boy do you get one! I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking to just sit and lose themselves in musical theatre for an hour.