Paris, 1896. You step through a secret door to a world of smoke, song and rebellion. The clink of glasses, the scent of absinthe, the pulse of music rising through the night.
You could have sworn you were heading for a nondescript building in Kensington, west London. But this is Chat Noir! – a new immersive theatre show from The Lost Estate – and it’s perfect for the hardcore escapists among us.
Here star Joe Morose, famed as the ‘Dandy Prince of Cabaret’, tells Meg Jorsh why 2026 is a great time to pretend…
For most people, a steady career in cabaret seems a bit unlikely. But for Joe Morose, it was probably a forgone conclusion.
“My favourite album when I was a teenager was Frank Sinatra Live at the Sands,” he says. “Because I’m old before my time. And when you listen to that, there are whole bits where Frank is having these chats with the audience, and I really loved that kind of off-the-cuff thing.
“I went to drama school to train as an actor. And then out of drama school, I needed a job.”
Joe started off working the cloakrooms at London’s Proud Cabaret, where his big personality soon got him noticed. He rose to resident compere, before directing shows at the legendary Café De Paris, where Sinatra, Noël Coward and Marlene Dietrich all performed in the 1930s.
The actor and comedian is now considered one of Europe’s most sought-after cabaret stars. But what exactly is cabaret, anyway?
“If you look it up in the dictionary, cabaret is entertainment while people eat and drink,” he says. “But this idea grew in the Parisian scene where the entertainment that was on slightly elevated itself – not above the hospitality necessarily, but it’s the reason for going.”
The first modern cabaret club was Le Chat Noir, opened in the bohemian Montmartre district of Paris in 1881. It was run by Joe’s character in Chat Noir! – flamboyant impresario Rodolphe Salis.
Between acts, he entertained the guests with his sharp-tongued wit. Even the future King Edward VII wasn’t spared when he visited, with Salis telling the crowd: “Well, look here: he looks like the Prince of Wales all p***ed!”
The club was soon colonised by decadent artists the Fumists, who encouraged Salis to take the entertainment to the next level.
Joe explains: “They were like ‘actually, this needs to become art.’ So then the art forms that were in front of the audience became slightly more expanded, from music, into poetry, and then into storytelling, and then into little bits of theatre.
“There would be dance involved in that. They experimented with moving it all forwards and elevating all that stuff.”
The scene inspired imitators all over the world, from Paris club the Moulin Rouge to the Kabarett halls of 1920s Germany. Even Gabriel Salis, Rodolphe’s brother, opened a competing cabaret, called L’Âne Rouge (The Red Ass), around the corner.
Sadly, Rodolphe wasn’t around long to enjoy his success. He died from tuberculosis in 1897 – and Le Chat Noir closed its doors soon afterwards.
“Rodolphe Salis was remarkable,” says Joe. “I mean, he was a bit of a nightmare and he didn’t pay people and he was incredibly rude, but he was also incredibly charismatic.
“He pulled all of these people together. He saw that there was change happening in this artistic sphere and he was like, ‘right, well, let’s create a place that can be a hive of this activity.’”
By bringing the visionary back to life on stage, Joe hopes to keep his legacy going for a new, 21 st century audience. But there’s no risk of Chat Noir! turning into a dull history lesson.
The show is shot through with music, comedy and magic, with seductive performances from burlesque dancers and even a mime. For a truly authentic atmosphere, guests are encouraged to wear period-appropriate clothes while they enjoy a three-course dinner and cocktails.
“I think cabaret is at its best when it’s elevated to something that is more than just entertainment,” says Joe. “There’s a politic in it, and then there is a feeling in it, and there is a story in it.
“I’m not necessarily saying that it should change your life. But it might change your mind a little bit, or it might just open your mind to a different perspective.”
And despite its origins in the Victorian age, fans like Joe see cabaret as an art form with a very modern message. There’s more than one way of telling a story, whether it’s through theatre, comedy, mime or even striptease. So you may as well be who you are.
“It’s great to be ‘other’ and odd and weird,” says Joe. “We live in a world where outside of the doors of the Chat Noir, you have to conform. But inside these doors, be who you want to be. And that is wonderful.”
- Chat Noir! is on at The Lost Estate in Kensington, west London until June 28. For more information and tickets, visit chatnoirlondon.com