Eddie Redmayne’s Emcee performance has caused uproar – but there is more to this Cabaret than meets the eye

Eddie Redmayne’s performance at the 2024 Tony Awards in June has been a hot topic among theatre fans. British director Rebecca Frecknall’s imaginative revival of Cabaret (1966) opened in London in 2021 and on Broadway in April 2024. Broadway critics have not been as overwhelmingly positive as London’s – and Redmayne’s divisive portrayal of the iconic Emcee character is taking centre stage in the debate.

When thinking of Cabaret, Liza Minnelli’s glamorous, vocally masterful turn as Sally Bowles in the 1972 film might spring to mind.