WILKOMMEN, bienvenue and welcome to early 1930s Berlin, the infamous Kit Kat Club and the start of what must be one of the greatest musicals of all time – Cabaret.

Not only does it have stunning songs and fascinating characters, it also has a compelling story with a message from history that must not be forgotten. The music is raunchy and black humour is never far away.

Dancer extraordinaire Wayne Sleep takes to the stage at Malvern Theatres as the pint-sized, sinister Emcee, pirouetting his way through the debauchery and defiant decadence in leather lederhosen while also enjoying a three-in-a-bed romp with some feisty frauleins.

I’d Do Anything finalist Samantha Barks dominates the role of Sally Bowles, star performer at the club, with her stunning voice. Her rendition of Maybe This Time is truly outstanding.

The crew of singers and dancers are incredibly talented and the choreography outstanding, with numerous cameo roles complementing the performance centre stage.

The show opens with the arrival of a young American, Cliff Bradshaw, played by Henry Luxemburg, in Berlin on New Year’s Eve. He’s befriended by the polite Ernst Ludwig, confidently played by Karl Moffatt who points Cliff to Fraulein Schneider’s lodging house. The love which blossoms between Sally and Cliff is mirrored in their seedy boarding house between its owner, Fraulein Schneider, played by Jenny Logan – delivering her songs with efficiency – and Herr Schultz, played by an equally professional Matt Zimmerman.

Nudity is used initially to create fun, but via a final shocking tableau it becomes a way to convey the slaughter of the Jews in the gas chamber and is very thoughtprovoking and a very poignant reminder.

Cabaret runs until Saturday.

BEVERLY ABBS