Cabaret Auschwitz

Cabaret Auschwitz: the most confused and misguided production at this year's Fringe

Review by Sam Friedman | 12 Aug 2007

Roll up, roll up, and come join the most confused and misguided production at this year’s Fringe. The gruesomely titled Cabaret Auschwitz is set in the camp’s infamous block 24 brothel, established in 1943 under Himmler’s direct orders.

Using comedy, song, dance and theatre, the production follows four artists and prostitutes struggling to express themselves in "the most extreme circumstances." Sadly, the surreal 45-minute cabaret gets the tone catastrophically wrong. Despite an obviously talented cast, it goes for a kind of sombre yet playful feel, with song lyrics like “smoke till you choke” and constant bizarre sexual innuendo.

In his director’s notes, playwright Tim Mcavoy argues “whoever says silence is the only proper response to the holocaust knows little about the power of poetry.” Perhaps. But when a young and inexperienced theatre company attempt to make light entertainment from such an emotive subject they must do it well. Extremely well. Unfortunately, Playfellows' shallow and inept production only succeeds in leaving a very bad taste in the mouth.