The Oscar Wilde Bar rehomes a Stray Cat…

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Black Cat, burlesque, cabaret, Cafe Royal Hotel, Ceil Chapman, champagne, costumes, Duncan Walsh Atkins, Dusty Limits, Frisky & Mannish, Lili la Scala, London, Marcella Puppini, Michael Roulston, music, Nicola Enigma, Oscar Wilde Bar, Salon des Artistes, Sarah Louise Young, Singer, Tattinger, the Black Cat Cabaret, variety

Now I know I have written about the Black Cat Cabaret before, but there has been an evolution for this kitten. After slipping away from the gaudy Cafe de Paris last year, the Black Cat has been rehomed by the gorgeous Cafe Royal Hotel, in the historic Oscar Wilde Bar (formally the Grill Room). The room is an extravaganza of gold leaf and mirrors with a baby grand piano in its centre and it is there where we set our stage.

As a singer, it is always a treat to be given the chance to interpret lesser known gems and as a regular attendee of the ‘Salon’ I get the chance to sing songs that would normally see the light of stage in a more conventional recital, as well as interpretations of other favourite songs of mine that I have hoarded in my collection. In many cabaret clubs we all slip into our comfortable staples, (normally those songs for which we can find the backing tracks) but the joy and delight of the ‘Salon des Artistes’ is the addition of the musicians; and what musicians they are! We are regularly graced by Michael Roulston, Nicola Enigma, Duncan Walsh Atkins and fabulous bass players like Tom Mansi. They enable us singers to perform music which is not normally found loitering around in other cabaret haunts.

We have also been lucky enough to have had some of the world’s top cabaret singers through the doors of the ‘Salon’ including Frisky (of Frisky and Mannish fame) is a regular and so is the amazing ‘La Poule Plombée’ with her carer, West End star Sarah-Louise Young. Lady Rizo stopped by when she was in town, Ali McGregor came along (avec enfant), Marcella Puppini (the founding Puppini Sister) and even Alfie Boe, (OK, he may not have sung a song, but he definitely was in the room – we’ll get him next time!)

Dusty Limits is the compere and director, although yours truly steps in on occasion. Otherwise, I get the chance to pull more unusual songs from my repertoire, soak them liberally in Tattinger (pink Tatty on occasion) and unleash them on our intimate and adoring audience. At the moment, I’m enjoying Lizst and Léhar as well as a little Radiohead. I’m contemplating some Mozart and some Poulenc for later in the year. Add to the mix, the muse – a gilded Vicky Butterfly, a devastating hand balancer, (you can count Reuben Kuan and Sammy Dineen amongst our guests!), resident danseurs ‘Cabaret Rouge’ and the best looking bar keeps in town (do make sure to look out for the heart-achingly gorgeous Tiago – Dusty’s particular favourite – although Tiago himself prefers a little Lili in his life, I’m sure!)

If you haven’t yet had the chance to come along to the ‘Salon des Artistes’, I suggest you unleash your inner artist, dress elegantly, slip through our door and wallow in the champagne-soaked decadence of our stunning home. It is a privilege to perform in such splendour and you’ll feel equally as astounded as the performers envelope you in their demi-monde of Parisian chic right in the heart of Piccadilly. I thought I’d leave you with a scattering of my favourite pictures taken by Clive Holland, one of modern cabaret’s greatest supporters.

And once you have finished gazing in wonder at the pictures, maybe you should stop by here and buy a ticket, go on, we’d love to see you.

Love Lili.

Lili and the Black Cat

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Black Cat, burlesque, cabaret, Cafe de Paris, Dusty Limits, entertainment, glamour, London, Offenbach, Paris, Vicky Butterfly

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to be invited to perform at The Black Cat Cabaret at the Cafe de Paris in Leicester Square. The C de P is one of my favourite London venues and it is based on the design of the decadent first class dining room on the Titanic. Over the years, many of my idols have sung there including Cole Porter, Marlene Dietrich and Noel Coward and you can feel the history oozing from the velvet covered walls, at least I think it was history, it might have been something entirely different.With the stage now back in it’s original position underneath the grand double staircase, the atmosphere is better than ever.
The Black Cat Cabaret is the brainchild of the divine Vicky Butterfly, Dusty Limits and David Harris, formerly of the Boom Boom Club and their absinthe-soaked touch is apparent through every seam of this fabulous cabaret. I had the chance to chat with Mr Limits about the evolution of the The Black Cat and he told me “David came up with the name and in discussion, largely drawing on Vicky’s encyclopaedic knowledge, we came up with a rough idea of what kind of show we wanted it to be; something a bit timeless and magical and evocative of the past without being a museum piece. We want to take the audience into another world to a degree, so we avoid things that are too topical.”

It isn’t often that I get to dust off the operetta and sing it to a cabaret audience, but it is an experience I absolutely relish. On this occasion I sang my non-burlesque version Olympia’s Doll Song from the Tales of Hoffmann to a wonderfully warmed up audience. Their response was very favourable and I had such fun. It’s wonderful when a song which is less mainstream evokes such a positive response from a potentially uninitiated audience. If only I could sing Poulenc & Debussy all the time to such acclaim.
The other acts on the night were all glorious, from the living art work and the artistic stylist of the evening, Vicky Butterfly, the saucy Cabaret Rouge ladies to the marvellous Jess Love and Missy Macabre too but the night really belongs to it’s host, the marvellously louche and gin-soaked Dusty Limits. He really is the compere beyond compare. The men want him, and the women want to be him – he’s like a consumptive Dionysis, a demi-mondaine of the highest degree and being this, he is the very essence of Montmartre, reborn en Angleterre. In passing, I asked Dusty what the future holds for this inky feline and he told me that “the next big step is to make the show seasonal, so instead of one-month runs, we’ll have a 13-week run with a fairly stable cast, so we’ll have an Autumn season starting in September.” What a brave new step for London cabaret, to make a show that is more akin to the Vegas shows like Absinthe or the Australian La Clique, Dusty agreed, “we’re excited about this because it gives us a chance to shape something really theatrical, which is a lot more difficult when you’re changing the show every four weeks”. Bravo, for this bold move, I feel it is a perfect move for the London Cabaret Scene.

Anyway, back to me! I wore my newest costume, although it is actually made up of various bits and pieces that I have found here and there. The bodice used to be a Queen of the Night costume, but with a mini-tutu and a tricorn it has a certain Parisian circus feel. It has the most fabulous vintage jet beading on the front.

I had the most marvellous evening and I’m lucky enough to be appearing there throughout June. So if you find yourself near Piccadilly and at a loose end, come along to the Black Cat. I must warn you, it is sold out most evenings so do buy your tickets in advance and I have popped a link here.
Maybe see you there?

Bisous

Lili

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