Spirits In My Closet

Crazy Cat Diva Productions - Stage Door Theatre

A spooky cabaret hosted by a dark duchess, paranormal stage magic and hauntingly hilarious songs played by a spirit guide.

A fun Halloween evening full of tricks! Starting with a spook; Monika Salvi, who plays Madame Mystique appears on stage as if by magic and it gives you a fright. The cabaret includes an array of songs from a WIDE range of genres, such as pop and musical theatre. Lyrics of well-known songs are altered to match the content of the show: The Phantom of The Opera is changed to 'The Ghost of Sleep Paralysis'. Whilst this was clever, the structure of the show would have more fluidity if the songs were not floating from genre to genre. A haunted house/attic scene is created on the stage, mirrors, candles, ouji board and skulls! This show will put a spell on you.

Monika Salvi has a spooky stage presence and her voice is haunting. It felt some of the songs did not compliment her voice type, but the most impressive of all was her version of the Phantom of The Opera and it felt like her ghostly voice was a perfect match for this song. Her enthusiasm was refreshing, but the energy levels never change and a gradual build up would give this piece a deeper look into her character. Without a doubt this woman can hold the stage by herself, keeps the audience engaged and gives a performance that can wake up the dead! Her right-hand ghoul; her spirit guide Monsieur Cadavre, played by Michael Ferreri adds a sprinkle of spooky substance and it was interesting for the MD to have such a huge role in her creepy cabaret. However, the jokes, dialogue between the two lacked naturalism and at times felt a bit awkward. He did play some fabulous music though!

Production elements were top notch! The team have utilised the space they had and it was enjoyable to watch. For instance, the piece includes a wide variety of musical props to create a spooky soundscape; this gave the cabaret it's unique stamp. One item used is a 'Wind Singer' and it looks like a sword mixed with a huge bubble wand and it is an instrument that makes a ringing/vibrating sound by waving it in the air. You will learn many new instruments by watching this show. The use of lighting was also helpful with creating a paranormal atmosphere, candles turn on one by one as is turned on by themselves and it is spooky! The production elements are interesting to watch, however, it felt like you are bombarded by things and there is no real storyline or aim of the piece. It's just talking about different spiritual experiences and if you are not very spiritual it's not relatable.

This show gets my vote for best costume, it's impressive! In 90 minutes Madame Mystique changes costumes nearly every song. She is the master of a quick change. The best costume is this white light up dress. She creates this amazing image when the lights are dim and she's standing on a suitcase. It genuinely appears as though she is a ghost floating through the air. There is no faults with the costumes at all, they are well thought out, relevant and goth glam!

This show is a bit of spooky, spiritual fun and it is an easy watch. Though, it does not have much depth or storyline, it's hard to connect with the character as there is a lack of emotion and understanding of the character. That being said the production elements are high quality, costume is fantastic and the songs are a bit of fun. There is a lot of comedy in this show and a huge amount of passion. They have achieved what they have described, and it is very much a haunted cabaret, I did find myself swinging at the seance and I did leave a grim grinning ghost.