You enter the narrow doorway and up the stairs to Connections and suddenly it's 100 years ago in Weimar Berlin and there are bowler hats and black stockings and suspenders with silk knickers everywhere. The lights dim, the fug of smoke wafts, the champagne flows and Kiara is there, on stage with her fabulous sextet: sisters Veruca Sour and Nicola, Polly St Pearl, Lucy Lovegun and tap-dancer Aleisha Archer. Kiara looks at us, eyes slitting, finger pointing out and launching into 'Hey, Big Spender'. Girls gotta make a livin'.
Kiara's shows are always peak cabaret and Kabarett with a K is her best yet, with every act completely in tune with the vibe of the period and every performer given a couple of chances to show their best and boy, they do.
Kiara sings, dances and acts her solos like the triple threat she is, particularly the heart-wrenching 'If You Go Away (Ne me quitte pas)'. Polly sings twice while doing her sultry strips. Veruca does a hilarious version of 'non, je ne regrette rien' by immediately following it with a riotous 'I Regret Everything' by Patti Lu Pone. Lucy lurches through her 'drunk' strip number so well you're drunk by the end of it! And then there's tap dancing by Aleisha! How delightful it is to hear it. It's so rare!
Trying to control the chaos is MC Nicola Macri in her bowler hat and lab coat, apologising for the out-of-control Kabarett girls who are constantly wandering through the audience (but it is Weimar after all) and getting up to mischief. Of course, Nicola's a wonderful comedian and really does knit the show together.
The last number, 'To Be Italian' (I think it's called that) is utterly appropriate given the Macri sister's heritage and reminds the lucky attendee that at base, this show is a family affair, full of love for the music, the time, the performances and you, lucky human, who is now going to buy tickets to see this fabulous show.