Interview with Black Cat Supper Club star Dusty Limits
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Black Cat Supper Club | Rah Rah Room | 28th October & 25th November | 8:30pm | From £29
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Black Cat Cabaret presents a series of pop-up events at historic vaudeville West End nightspot, the Rah Rah Room (formerly the iconic Pigalle Club).
Expect to encounter high-kicking showgirls, jaw-dropping acrobats, comics, madcap singers, live musicians, a fire-breathing goddess and more, whilst enjoying a lavish 3-course dinner by artisan chefs – or, if you’re not into multitasking, slum it in the stalls to catch the show. Either way, make sure to stick around after the show, to sip moonlit cocktails and dance the night away!
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We caught up with one of the stars of the show, the dark prince of cabaret Dusty Limits, to talk the Black Cat Supper Club, sleepwalking into Fascism, inspirations and things to do in London!
Tell us about The Black Cat Supper Club. What should we expect?
It’s an evening of fine dining and variety cabaret inspired by the cabarets of Montmartre in fin-de-siecle Paris, but with a contemporary feel – all conveniently located in a gorgeously stripped-back venue just seconds from Piccadilly Circus.
Who should we look out for on the line up for BCSC?
The wonderful Cabaret Rouge dancers, whose routines evoke the Moulin Rouge and Bob Fosse in equal measure, plus the stupendous juggler Florian Brooks, a completely extraordinary singer called Baby Carla from Australia, wonderful acrobats and aerialists and more!
Your performance style reminds us of Weimar era kabarett. Do you think this era has any resonance with the post-Brexit referendum era?
I certainly think there are some parallels, especially in terms of the rise of a kind of accepted xenophobia, which I find very troubling. The parallels started long before Brexit though – the seeds were sown in the 2008 crash. I’ve been banging on about us ‘sleepwalking into Fascism’ since my show KUNST. I also think there’s plenty of reasons to be hopeful, but I think it’s imperative we don’t accept the erosion of human rights. It’s exciting in a way, and certainly I find I’m going back to a much more politicised version of myself.
Who or what inspires you to write and perform?
It’s pretty diverse. In terms of ‘who’, the big ones were Bowie, Waits, Weill, Brecht, Brel, Lennox and Mitchell. In terms of current artists, I think Philip Jeays is a true genius, and Meow Meow is my favourite cabaret performer. Diamanda Galas is a personal hero of mine. In terms of ‘what’: everyday stuff, strangely. Conversations overheard in pubs. And dreams/nightmares. I have good recall of those and they feed into what I write.
What are your favourite places to go to in London?
I don’t party much any more – when you do this job, going out for drinks is a bit of a busman’s holiday. I did quite enough partying in my 30s, frankly. I am a huge fan of pubs, especially gastropubs. My favourite pub is probably Norman’s Coach and Horses in Greek St, for its history and atmosphere. I’m also a big fan of the White Horse in Brixton, which is my local, and the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, where I did a lot of my early work. For eating out, I do love Hawksmoor, especially if someone else is paying. But truth be told, for relaxation purposes, I’d mostly prefer to stay in, cook a great meal, and watch Parks and Recreation.
The www.theblackcat.info/supper-club/ lineup also includes: showgirl dynamos Cabaret Rouge, murder ballad chanteuse Baby Carla, international aerial daredevils Katharine & Hugo, fire burlesque siren Aurora Starr, gentleman juggler Florian Brooks & more!
Book tickets for the Black Cat Supper Club at www.theblackcat.info/supper-club/
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I am Joint Editor at To Do List. I like: nice pubs, film marathons, not doing real marathons, bad comedy, plays/musicals with shorter second halves, and the Oxford comma.
