Village Squire, 1976-09, Page 32Theatre
Cabaret a success
Cabaret theatre is something that has been
virtually unknown in these parts but
suddenly, the summer of 1976 brought all
kinds of it.
The Victorian Inn in Stratford had its Two
Score and More show that closed recently and
over at the Church, the masters of Cabaret in
Canada, Tom Kneebone and Dinah Christie
.here, arid still are, strutting their stuff.
Cabaret is the only kind of commercial'
theatre that exists in Canada. A cross
between a nightclub and a theatre would
perhaps sum up the genre best. While most
actors in Canada perform in subsidized
theatres (even the mighty Stratford Festival
gets about three quarters of a million in
subsidies each year) Tom Kneebone has kept
himself gainfully employed for years with his
own cabaret shows and never banked a penny
of subsidy for any of the shows.
Such ventures, of course can be risky. All
the money for the show must be raised by
those involved. They can also be tiring. In
order to make money, the show must run for
months, perhaps even years. Kneebone, for
instance, has had several shows run for a year
or more at Toronto's best-known cabaret
theatre, Theatre in the Dell. He's. also
performed in summers at The Buttery in
Niagara -on -the -Lake.
Moo performers would simply go nuts
at Stratford
presenting the same show over and over
again. In Canada a show rarely runs longer
than a month or so. The repertory runs of the
Stratford and Shaw Festivals are about as
long as a show usually stays together. In long
runs, it becomes hard for performers to keep
the spark and spontanety in the show.
Kneebone has managed over the years to
survive and make his shows survive as well.
In recent years his most frequent companion
on the tiny stages of cabaret theatres has
been Miss Christie. They've hoofed their way
through thousands of performances together.
This summer, they've brought two of their
hit shows to The Church to entertain
audiences. Under the umbrella title Together
Again, they alternate their shows week about.
One is a tribute to Cole Porter and the other, a
tribute to Noel Coward. It gives them, and the
audience, a little more variety than is usual in
Cabaret. They are also, Miss Christie says,
working on a new show featuring various
composers.
And, if you're there on a night like we
were, you may see a different show again.
The night we attended Mr. Kneebone was
busy at what Miss Christie called "the big
kids theatre" across the way where he was
playing Puck with pluck in Midsummer
Night's Dream. Kneebone has prm en that
he's more than a cabaret performer „ith
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past two season's work at the Festival.
In the absence of Mr. Kneehom' Miss
Christie went on alone like the oldttme
trouper. The show ,was modified to allow a
one-person show where two had tnter.I ted
previously. She split 'du. '.t' n inti. two
sections, one for Cow,iril arm the other for
Porter. Just to season the mix she threy‘ in a.
little of her old forte, folk singing.
The result is something of a teaser that.
makes you want to go back and see the Porter
and Coward shows when both performers are
present. We get to see' the sophisticated wit
and wisdom of the two composer -writers, one
from the English side of the Atlantic, the
other from the American. Both played with '
words to satirize the upper crust society in
which they mingled.
The show lasted about 45 minutes, though
perhaps is longer when both halve of the •
team are present. Without the interplay of the
two veterans there seemed to be a lack of real
spark. The performance wasn't helped any
by the fact that about the smallest audience of
the season was present for the early-Septem-.
ber midweek show.
Of • course in cabaret at the Church the
supper is almost as big a star as the
performers. The menu offers three choices,
roast beef, poulet beaujolaise or trout Ben -
miller. As usual the food was excellent and
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