Chat Noir Review 
The Headlines
First off the bits you really want to know.
- What is it? An evening in a la belle epoque club with music, cabaret, food and absinthe
- Did I enjoy it? Yes
- How many stars did I give it? four and a half.
- Dress: You don’t have to, but I recommend leaning into the theme as a good idea when deciding what you wear – I’ll explain later.
- Seating: Don’t worry about where you sit based, on the view: all seats have a good view. – Note: the seating round the edge (rail) are higher stools, comfortable enough and the entertainment will take your mind off a numb bum if you get one – I didn’t – but if you think you might struggle, go for the chairs.
- Go for the VIP bit if you want the whole package and not think about anything on the night but don’t worry if you decide not to – attentive staff will make any visit VIP and portions are good and they wont run out of booze!
- Oops: The only downside? The only coffee served is in a cocktail.
- Would I book a hotel? Yes: with Absinthe involved, unless you are a local.
The Evening
A school night saw me and the missus head towards St Pancras and a train that was going to take me to 19th century Paris – no not the Eurostar, the Piccadilly Line! And not Montparnasse but Beaumont Ave in West Kensington and Le Chat Noir.
The gods were on our side as we shared our carriage with a random French family and as we left the train, a gentleman turned to us and, in a conspiratorial tone, whispered “Le Chat Noir?” This is soooo exciting and we are not even there yet!
Of course, The Lost Estate doesn’t promise this delightful journey for every guest but if you lean into the theme of the evening and take the trouble to travel a la Mode then fingers crossed your attempt to blend in with the clientele at Le Chat Noir wont go unnoticed by fellow revellers and commuters alike. It’s all a bit of fun.
Also it is a well known fact that the more you invest, the more receptive you are to those offering to entertain you. And if you have travelled down from Leeds and booked a hotel, well: get ready to have your socks blown off!
I’m going from top to bottom with what I enjoyed rather than reviewing chronologically. And with an almost five star review there is not a lot of bottom (well there is but that is Burlesque for you!).
The Performers
Musicians. (Disclaimer: I can play Trois Gymnopedie 1) They never get the credit. In a show like this, you can “get away with” but if you don’t try to “get away with” it is REALLY worth while. Musically I thought this was tops – performances, variations, scoring, incorporation everything – and there is a lot of it, so hats off to Steffan Rees Composer/MD and Guy Button (violin and Co MD) with themes and tunes from Satie, Debussy, Berlioz, Bizet and many more that my limited musical ear failed to recognise.
Peteris Sokolovskis (who coincidentally played with my mate Max Baillie at Glasto last year), Alex Ullman (as Erik Satie), Will Fry (percussion) and Áine McLoughlin (accordian) completed the troupe of musicians and were all on form on the night I saw it.
Like the turns (see Bohemians below) this is as close to his day job as you can get. He is not playing but being. Immersive theatre is all about the purchase, the veracity. It is his brilliant enthusiasm that provides the cohesion for the evening and throughout I was glad he was our host.
The Bohemians: Again this is about being not pretending. We are watching the magician at Le Chat Noir, we are watching the singer at The Chat Noir, we are watching the Burlesque artist at Le Chat Noir.
I know it is silly to say but the musicians and the cooks are not pretending to be what they are employed to be, so it is nice to see that we are not offered actors “pretending to be”. Look them all up online. Mime by Alexander Luttley, illusion by Neil Kelso, song by Issy Wroe Wright and dance by Coco Belle. All well worth looking out for if they happen to be playing a belle epoque night club near you in the future.
We really are being immersed in their world.
The Food
Coq au Vin: Decent portions and yummy food. Again you can get away with not trying, but if you put something decent on the plate it is REALLY worth while.
We got asked to play a game – answer three questions and they would recommend my perfect Absinthe – I seem to remember being a naughty, Bohemian pussycat!
Also I had the lemon, gin and champagne cocktail – both were excellent! I would strongly recommend you top and tail the evening with a soupçon of liquid depravity.
The Content
The entertainment of the evening is split into three sections. Introductions to the turns as individuals and then two group entertainments – one an ode to Absinthe (well why not) and the other, Anarchy, where pretty much anything goes including a re-write of Bizet’s Carmen where, just as Carmen brings to anarchy to Don Jose’s life, Salis brings it to ours.
Lots of silliness and lots of fun to round off the evening – because despite Salis’s efforts the evening must come to an end.
Maybe you will be back! I will.
So in Summary
Go, sit anywhere, prepare to be entertained and prepare to be a little looser at the end of the show than you were when you arrived.
Vive l’Absinthe! Vive Le Chat Noir!
The Lost Estate
Chat Noir is produced by The Lost Estate. There are two other Lost Estate productions in town – 58th Street and the Great Christmas Feast will open towards the end of the year.
Le Chat Noir is written and directed by Will Kunhardt whilst Sean Hollands takes on the pivotal role of Experience Director.
More information and booking at www.chatnoirlondon.com
What is the closest hotel to Chat Noir?
We offer the three star Point A Kensington Olympia, The four star Hotel Indigo Kensington and the Holiday In Kensington with pool and spa. All within a mile. The Stamford Bridge Hotel is a good choice if you’ve come to town for the football too.