Court Theatre Presents CABARET, 11/20

Antonia Prebble may have finished her role on OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE, but the young actress is keeping busy, playing the lead role in the musical CABARET at The Court Theatre in Christchurch from November 20.

While Loretta West was a schemer who indulged in immoral (and illegal) behaviour on the popular NZ television show (operating a bordello in the most recent series), the role of Sally Bowles - a nightclub singer in 1930s Berlin - is "a fun mix of innocence and vice" for Antonia.

This is two firsts for Prebble: her first lead role in a musical and her first stay in Christchurch. During the first week of rehearsal the theatre had to be evacuated twice - once due to an aftershock, the second due to a fire drill. "It certainly keeps you on your toes," Antonia says "growing up in Wellington means I'm no stranger to some small shakes, but rehearsing during aftershocks has been a new experience."

CABARET's director Sandra Rasmussen cast Antonia after auditioning her in Auckland earlier this year. "Antonia is a gifted young actress who managed to capture the emotional complexity of Sally Bowles - she's gorgeous, talented and extremely smart" says Rasmussen.

CABARET is one of the world's most popular musicals, set in a nightclub called the Kit Kat Klub in 1930s Berlin: a society spiralling into debt, desperation and debauchery. Amongst the decadence of the Kit Kat Klub, Sally develops a relationship with writer Cliff Bradshaw (Cameron Douglas) the complexities of their affair play out as Germany is seduced by its darker desires with the rise of Nazism. The show was made into a widely successful film starring Liza Minnelli in 1972 and has enjoyed several revivals.

Antonia regards Sally as an iconic character and looks forward to developing her craft - as well as enjoying the "adrenaline rush" of live stage performance. "You're not only giving so much energy to the audience, but receiving it right back from them tenfold!"
 
CABARET runs from 20 November 2010 until 12 February 2011. Book at The Court Theatre www.courttheatre.org.nz