What a lovely, imaginative, relaxing idea: a cabaret at teatime (5pm in fact) on the Sunday of a Bank Holiday weekend at Crazy Coqs! What else would you be doing at this time? In addition, the cabaret is being given by Janie Dee and friends! She has the enviable ability of achieving immediate rapport with an audience. Those of us who have witnessed her cabaret before know that we will not be disappointed!
This particular event is part of “Janie Dee’s Beautiful World Cabaret” in harmony with the London Wildlife Trust, so we are treated to environmental stories showing that things are, perhaps, not quite as bad as they could be, in spite of islands of plastic waste in our oceans! Individuals are beginning to make a difference.
Burton Lane’s “On a Clear Day” is a great way to start an environmental cabaret, especially as performed here, even if Tom Lehrer’s “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” is not quite as obvious – but very amusing, and it is especially interesting to see the reactions of the audience new to this particular song!
Josephina Ortiz Lewis impresses with a risk-taking rendition of “Glitter and Be Gay” from Bernstein’s Candide, revealing a supple soprano voice and great sense of humour. Together with Sophia Priolo, who has her own environmental story to tell, she also accompanies Janie as both backing singer and dancer.
One person whom I should love to experience a solo cabaret from is the pianist – and so much more! – Stevie Higgins. His piano teacher would be shocked at his stance at the piano, nearly always sitting at an angle with his right foot to the side of the piano stool, and SO laid back – yet at the same time delighting the audience with the most inventive accompaniments and underscoring, often using the most imaginative chord progressions possible – but they always work! His solo rendering of a piece by Grieg was one of the many highlights of the afternoon.
However, one moment that will stay with me for a long time is Janie Dee lying on the Yamaha Grand performing “No one believes I’m a Mermaid” – precious nonsense!
The show winds its way to its conclusion far too quickly with some Sondheim as well as the Brazilian Bossa Nova “The Girl from Ipanema” and Eric Maschwitz’s 1939 standard “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”. This cabaret is part of a series of “Beautiful World Cabarets” at Crazy Coqs, performed by a long roster of entertainers, and Janie Dee and friends are also performing at Charing Cross Theatre from 21 June until 13 July 2025.
A lovely, warm-hearted show: highly recommended!
Review by John Groves
This inspiring cabaret confronts the climate crisis, and celebrates our beautiful world, through song and spoken word. Unusual and inspiring guests join this green twist on classic cabaret, asking how we can each make a difference in the fight for our planet. Playful, radical, informative, and ultimately hopeful.
Never have the words ‘LIFE is a Cabaret’ been more apt. A few surprises, joy and wonderful songs and music – whilst steering a defined course to ignite a finite care for our Beautiful World.
BEAUTIFUL WORLD CABARET WITH JANIE DEE
Crazy Coqs
25 May 2025
Presented as part of the Beautiful World Cabaret Festival, 13 to 28 May 2025
