A heady mix of cabaret, close-up magic, and curated cocktails creates an unforgettable night at The Starling in new immersive show Rhythm&Ruse
'Embrace unknowing' is a mantra that's repeated often throughout Rhythm&Ruse. It's an encouragement to accept that not everything we see can be explained, not every question will be answered, and not being in control can be liberating. Within the world of The Starling, there's little choice but to give over to that mantra and be taken along for the ride.
Photo: Rhythm & Ruse
Directed by Fania Grigoriou, devised by Sam Booth and Mallory Gracenin, and with musical direction from Naomi Banks, Rhythm&Ruse carried a heavy weight on its shoulders from the moment it was first announced. There's a certain pedigree that comes with having such well-known names within the world of immersive collaborating on an entirely original production, and thankfully, the show not only meets those lofty expectations but exceeds them. With a five-piece jazz band, close-up magic, and a curated selection of five cocktails included with your ticket, the show may well be London's best night out.
Our introduction into the world of Rhythm&Ruse begins with a welcome speech from Ruby (Jessica Hern, The Great Gatsby Immersive/Doctor Who: Time Fracture), a society member at The Starling who immediately sets the tone for the evening's proceedings. We're told to prepare for an evening of wonder in which we'll leave the real world behind and be able to embrace our truest selves. Bubbling just below the surface of this speech, and many others throughout the evening, is the fact that there's much more to the speakeasy than first meets the eye.
Photo: Rhythm & Ruse
Hosts Tom and Rosie Archer (Sam Booth and Mallory Gracenin, The Burnt City/Sleep No More) do little to quell these suspicions. We're introduced to the pair long before the show begins, with Rosie sat blindfolded on stage, transcribing a vision onto a piece of paper while Tom silently looks over her as guests as shown to their seats.
Once the show begins in earnest, there's talk of how we should all be in the habit of believing in the impossible every day to help make our dreams come true. Is it merely a motivational speech or part of a recruitment drive for their secretive society? Either way, the pair complement each other wonderfully, with Tom's charismatic steadiness anchoring Rosie's more mischievous and free-spirited approach to hosting.
Photo: Rhythm & Ruse
Once the show begins in earnest, there's talk of how we should all be in the habit of believing in the impossible every day to help make our dreams come true. Is it merely a motivational speech or part of a recruitment drive for their secretive society? Either way, the pair complement each other wonderfully, with Tom's charismatic steadiness anchoring Rosie's more mischievous and free-spirited approach to hosting.
Rhythm&Ruse quickly settles into a rhythm that sets the pace for the evening. A performance takes place on the main stage, followed by a break. During that break, either a fresh round of drinks arrives as Tom, Rosie, Ruby, and Charlie (the second society member, played by Elliot Rodriguez) mingle and interact with guests, or one of the show's nine close-up magicians will arrive at your table for a personal performance. Afterwards, the focus shifts back to the main stage, and the cycle repeats.
It’s no surprise that every encounter with one of the close-up magicians is an intimate and thrilling experience. The close quarters in which they operate, with everyone mere feet away, allow you to interrogate their every move, and across the evening every guest gets a chance to be part of the action. Throughout the show, four magicians will sit alongside you at your table to perform. During our visit, we spent time with Laura London, Puck (Eddie), Saavan Thethy, and John Welles, who were all excellent.
Photo: Rhythm&Ruse
From seeing someone's jewellery vanish into thin air before reappearing moments later attached to a set of car keys to having a billiard ball thump onto the table out of a playing card pack or collectively powering a lightbulb through a daisy chain of hands linked to a non-existent battery, each performance would elicit reactions of amazement and awe.
The on-stage performances from Naomi Banks and The Revellers have a similar effect. Under the musical direction of Banks, who regularly drew large crowds as Orpheus within The Burnt City's Peep, the five-piece band delivered a series of phenomenal renditions of songs, including I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone and Why Don't You Do Right? by Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman. These performances are perfectly suited for the show's decadent jazz age setting and are a great showcase of Banks' powerhouse vocals.
Photo: Rhythm & Ruse
A select few guests at every performance have the opportunity to pull back the curtain and discover more about the mysteries surrounding The Starling in intimate moments away from the main room. During our visit, an out-reached hand from society member Charlie midway through the show was our invitation to talk privately. According to Charlie, our auras were so radiant that he and fellow society member Ruby had no choice but to pull us aside to talk, away from inquisitive ears.
We're told that we're right for the flock and are on our way to becoming a part of it. "You make the shadows disappear. A light beams out of you that just... attracts people towards you" said Charlie as we locked eyes intensely.
While it's impossible to get to the core of what all of these allusions to secret societies add up to in just one visit, it's a tantalising starting point for the ongoing narrative that Rhythm&Ruse will reveal over the coming months and years. Before the end of 2024, there are planned seasonal updates to the show for Halloween and Christmas. With the producers holding the answers to what else is at play within The Starling close to their chests for now, we're seemingly playing the long game when it comes to finding out exactly what they have in store for us and our radiant auras.
Photo: Rhythm & Ruse
If you asked us how any of the magic on display at Rhythm&Ruse is achieved, we wouldn't be able to answer you. The satisfaction of witnessing magic up close doesn't come from knowing how a trick is done; it comes from the unknowing. There is one thing we can say with certainty though... Rhythm&Ruse is one of the best nights out we've had all year, and we can't wait to return.
Photos: Rhythm & Ruse
★★★★★
Rhythm&Ruse is booking until 23rd November 2024 at The Vaults. Tickets start at £37 and include five curated cocktails. To book and find out more, visit rhythmandruse.com
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