Present

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 Pocket KABARET

THE CONCEPT

This is a show that takes clichs from classic European styles, and old culture from
Latin Americas cabarets. It develops an alternative view to updating them and
exploring different theatrical languages to offer fresh and modern results,
appropriate for today. A spectacle of humour, eroticism, provocation, well
communicated depurated aesthetics (of a standard achieved only by talented theatre
professionals), contemporary dance, mixed techniques and audio-visual languages;
the show harmonizes quality, surprises and new concepts of entertainment with the
intention of reaching all kinds of audiences. It also combines polemics with good taste
and research with tradition. In short, performances attempt to reinvigorate the
essence of the cabaret concept - and with fascinating contents and special attention
to visuals, bring it into the 21st century.

I. THE CORE TEAM

A core team will perform the show every night. The team is composed of:

One ACTRESS who will play the role of Master of Ceremonies and the conductor
who links all the acts. She will behave as host to the people who come to enjoy
the show. She will therefore be in permanent and close interaction with them,
but will also have the opportunity to present an individual act or intervention.
We think this role should be filled by a woman in her thirties, with an
ambiguous and androgynous appearance that creates the impression of
indefinite age. She will play different roles, showing changeable and
contrasting sides, with enough charisma and personality to lead the show and
to develop interventions into and for the audience.
This actress should therefore be trained in theatre to enable her to create a
strong and flexible character - a character made to measure for us. This is a
key criterion, because a concrete type of entertainer would confine us to a
frame, and limit a huge number of our possibilities.
She must have singing and dancing skills as well.

Two ACTORS and one ACTRESS who will play the theatrical sketches, absurd
dialogues, talk-show acts, funny speeches, manipulate the puppets, sing
special songs that ask for dramatic treatment, dance and be able to support
other interventions with the dancers as well.

One low SOPRANO or MEZZOSOPRANO who will have a special role in the show.
She will have her own story developed in fragmented apparitions. This might
create a touch of elegance, refined humour and experiment with the mixture
of classic opera singing, pantomime and theatre sketch.

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 A group of DANCERS composed of four women and two men will perform all the
choreographies. Trained mainly in contemporary dance techniques, they will be
able to work with other styles such as flamenco, tango, traditional dances and
salsa as well. Some of them must be able to perform alternative and creative
dances, including tasteful stripteases.

The BAND composed of three musicians (one keyboard, one saxophone, one
violin) who could also play different instruments within their speciality like
flutes, the accordion and some supporting percussion instruments. However,
the Master of Ceremonies will also play the role of false DJ. With this
technique we can record all the environmental/atmospheric music, and use it
to back up the live musicians. In this way, we can create the atmosphere and
power of a bigger band without losing the magic of live music.
The musicians are characterized as funny and interesting types.

II. THE SPACE

We have designed this show for a bistro or a bar, where people can drink or eat
something during the show, but, and this is important, where there will be a stage.
The stage will have the minimum requirements: an area of 8 x 6 m, an ideal height of
3-4 m, free space on both sides of the stage, basic stage machinery with the potential
to hang a screen, curtains and other props if need be, a good stage light set and
sound equipment and be visible from all the parts of the room.
This stage should be close to the audience, in order to soften the division between
them and the performers, with some stairs to make it easier for when the artists go to
them.
The audience will sit at little tables, with a fancy light, and we will keep a little
space free just in front of the stage dedicated to those moments when the artists
perform in the space of the public.
The musicians will be on the left and offstage in a special tribune, although we would
consider the possibility of them performing on the stage (backstage, for example) if
this suits us for any reason.
Since, in a cabaret it is not only the stage settings and main elements of the show
that create the right tone, the atmosphere of the place should be given attention too.
The environment is crucial. Decoration, lighting, background music, the staff, the
menu, every detail is important in creating the atmosphere in which the show is to be
performed. This will contribute to the success of the whole. That is why it is
extremely convenient to create and work in the same space that will receive the
show.

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III. THE MUSIC

The main concept for the music is to have it live. The ideal would be to have a band
with at least 6 musicians. As this is very expensive and would increase the cost of the
performances, we suggest having three musicians with the basic sounds (keyboard,
saxophone and strings violin, for example- with the possibility that they can play an
extra instrument). To complete the arrangements, we could pre-record background
music and present it through the medium of an onstage machine. This machine will
supply the background music of drums, wind instruments, and multiply the effect of
the strings for example, as well as create and reproduce and special or unique sounds.
This machine could be included in the show as a DJ machine, and the Master of
Ceremonies would use it, with the agreement of the audience.
We will look for inspiration and take music from all kinds of genres with no
restrictions at all. We will take into account classic cabaret music like Boris Vian,
Berlin Songs, American Rhapsodies, Scott Joplin, Kurt Weill, Karl Valentin, Spanish
Cuple, and French Chanson; refer to modern cabaret like Ute Lemper, Milva, Hanna
Schygulla, Ingrid Caven, and Teresa Stratas; and consider special singers with a taste
for the cabaret like Tom Waits, Marianne Faithful and Lou Reed. We will include, of
course, Jazz and Dixie styles and even use Classical or Contemporary high level music
with special arrangements or Traditional Folk music such as tango, flamenco, and
bossa nova; and try to mix styles. In some cases, we will use some pop music.
Of course the arrangements will be crucial to giving a modern sound to every piece
and creating a coherent style for the show.

IV. THE SCREEN

A backdrop curtain could be used as a projection screen (if the image comes from the
front) or a shadow screen (if the light comes from behind). The material used should
be gauze or chiffon that allows for the production of magical effects like appearances
and disappearances in conjunction with the lights and how they are used.
The images projected onto the screen (fixed or in movement) are useful as various
backgrounds, as special effects and as an independent act for a concrete moment in
the show. For example, we could see an old dance film clip of Fred Astaire and Ginger
Rogers, and at the same time on the stage the dancers are dancing with them.
The possibilities that this screen offers are limitless.

V. THE ACTS

The main section of the show consists of a series of acts, basically independent, with
no obvious link, although some of them could be fragmented and showed in different
moments or related to others as a surprise. We list below the basic categories for
these acts, but it is important for us to note that they will not be pure (because all
of them will share theatrical languages from the others). For example, a singer who

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sings a song might also have a theatrical, or choreography might support a pantomime
sketch or a theatre sketch with a song, etc. This is important because we would avoid
empty or aesthetic acts without any kind of content. Below are some examples.

1. Types

a) DANCING Choreographies

A Duet with Arabian music that stylizes a couple in a love relationship.

b) SINGING a song with a story

Using Im a Snob, by Boris Vian, present a parody of a well known/easily recognised

character type from nowadays, who is proud to be a snob.

c) THEATRE SKETCHES: Dialogues or brief scenes, mainly funny or absurd.

A couple in front of the altar on their wedding day, freeze in the moment they should
say I do. The ensuing dialogue between them brings out all the reproaches they will
make to each other after 20 years of marriage.

d) SPEECH or TALK SHOW scenes.

A character talks about questions related to everyday life, social or political situations
or eternal themes related to human beings with irony and a touch of provocation.

A man talks about policemen with irony.

e) PUPPETS, Shadows, Masks, Black Theatre or Theatre with objects.

A group of shoes, that symbolize the character types of their owners, have stories to
tell with all kinds of funny and provocative situations.

f) CLOWN and PANTOMIME Special acts with a special technique that has a lot
of resources to critique or parody types and situations from our environment
through a hilarious sense of humour.

A politician is in a meeting, authentically dressed, except for a red nose. During his
speech strange things start to happen.

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2. Relationship with the audience - The Alternative Team.

During the show, the audience will not only remain the traditional theatre spectator,
watching and enjoying the acts, but receive all kinds of stimulation as well. What we
call provocation is not only the result of the content or the aesthetics of one act. It is
also the result of a direct relationship with the audience. That can happen in
different ways. On one hand, as we mentioned before, the Master of Ceremonies is
the one who is in permanent connexion with the audience, and behaves as bridge
between them and the show. She can talk face to face with some members of the
audience, share their space on some occasions, and carry out acts in which the
audience would be the main protagonist.
On the other hand we can think about having an alternative team whose mission
would be just this one: a group of actors and actresses either camouflaged within the
audience (e.g. a couple who starts a quarrel), within the staff of the bistro (e.g. a
waiter who manifests strange behaviour); or perform within the show itself (e.g. one
crazy woman who thinks she is at a charity celebration and develops a parallel
show, creating funny situations based on that misunderstanding). The show could
even start before the official one. When the people arrive at the place they will be
exposed to mini-theatricals - in the cloakroom (e.g. the woman who is there is one of
us), in the WC, in the room (e.g. some beauty who is selling cigarettes and cigars
sings, because what she really wants is to be a star). The tables could have an old
fashioned telephone to make calls from one to another, and this could be used in the
show.
We would collocate a couple of big puppets within the audience using a Bunraku
technique (the manipulator lends parts of his body to a 1 m puppet).The puppets
could participate in the show as well and give a humorous spin to the point of view of
a particular spectator.
This would help people to become absorbed in our show. As we mentioned before, the
atmosphere and environment is an essential element, and it does not only come from
the stage.

3. Guest Artists

Apart from the fixed acts and sketches we suggest that one of them be assigned to a
different guest artist every month. This guest can be actors (for example, we can
invite well known actors who present an act in which they perform a travesti rol),
singers, humorists, and even little companies with a special repertoire, magicians,
acrobats etc.
That would motivate people to come back, because they will find different things in
the show from time to time. If our guest artists are famous or very well known, and
we make shrewd choices, this may well hook first time spectators and encourage
them to keep coming back.

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4. The Connecting Thread: Master of Ceremonies

As we have said, this is the most important character in the show. She will lead the
performance, introduce the acts, support the band, connect with the audience and
give coherence to the whole thing. For example, depending on the character and the
whole show (music, acts, scenes within the audience etc); she might begin with a
magic act, as if she would like to provoke the imagination of the audience. We have
an empty stage.

She might encourage them to close their eyes. Listen to the music. And imagine...
The charm and suggestion might draw people in, and get them involved in the show.
When they leave at the end, an impression of tastefulness and magic should linger for
a while.