1933: Eine Nacht Im Kabarett @ Summerhall

Edinburgh-based Tightlaced Theatre and Sporadic Music present 1933: Eine Nacht Im Kabarett, the latest immersive theatre production by Susanna Mulvihill. Set in a fictional cabaret in Berlin, Germany on the day Hitler becomes chancellor (January 30, 1933), it brings to life the uncertainty, mistrust, and fear that spread throughout Europe following the 1929 Depression.

Drawing a parallel between the tensions of the modern age and the problems of the Weimar era, Eine Nacht Im Kabarett seems to be a cross between the musical Cabaret and the Luchino Visconti film The Damned. The production meshes together artists from various disciplines, including songwriting, dancing, and burlesque, and includes local celebrities like Fiona Thom and Bev Wright.

Featuring songs including lyrics like 'Everybody wants to be a Nazi,' the show has a touch of the satirical - like Mel Brooks' The Producers - but clearly is an attempt to tackle issues of discrimination and violence, such as the situation brewing in Greece due to the rise of Golden Dawn.

It would be difficult to get theatre that is more politically engaged than this. Of course, politically themed theatre also raises the question of responsibility and accountability of the performers themselves towards their audience. The ideas presented in a play about extreme circumstances require particularly careful treatment to avoid misinterpretations while allowing discussions about the play to happen.

Admittedly, while most cabaret and burlesque performances tend to borrow nostalgic elements of the 20s and 30s in terms of fashion, very few attempt to recreate the era itself. It remains to be seen whether Tightlaced Theatre and Sporadic Music pull this off. [Eric Karoulla]