Chat Noir
The Lost Estate
until July 2026
Last night, I went to Paris! I also travelled back in time to the 1890s, and after adventuring down dimly lit atmospheric corridors adorned with French illustrations and decorations, I became immersed for over 4 glorious hours in the world’s first Cabaret Club!
I lie, I wasn’t in Paris at all, but Beaumont Avenue in West Kensington where ‘The Lost Estate’ has created a replica of ‘Le Chat Noir!’ in the Montmartre district in Paris where the Parisian Bourgeoisie and Bohemians mixed side by side. The Lost Estate are no strangers to creating unique experiences but this was my first exposure to their work and I was suitably impressed by the sheer scale and yet their attention to detail from the start to the end of the evening.
Chat Noir, London is a fully immersive experience. We are entertained, we are fed and…. we are encouraged to drink. There is so much to see and hear. The Club is decadent, decorated to perfection, dimly lit (by the new fangled electric lights). There are plenty of little intimate little booths for two and a few group seating options all with a perfect view of the central stage.
Our host is the proprietor of the Chat Noir, Rodolphe Salis, who is portrayed by Joe Morrow, he guides us through the evening with energy and humour. He explains from the oft that the entertainment is in three sections, Art, Absinthe and Anarchy. He is joined for these sections by his troupe of players, the Muse (Issy Wroe Wright), the Dancer (Coco Belle), Mime (Alexander Luttley) and the Magician (Neil Kelso). These 5 characters are all based on original Chat Noir players. Five onstage musicians are active throughout, enhancing the atmosphere further ensuring that music remains at the heart of Le Chat Noir.
During the first section each artist has a solo spot and we are treated to four very different entertaining performances. The second section (Absinthe) is more of a dream sequence and (by this time having quaffed a little absinthe ourselves) felt very surreal in comparison. The final section Anarchy, was just that, anything goes! The cast’s antics ranged from the sublime (an hilarious version of Bizet’s Carmen) to the ridiculous (the electing of the King of Montmartre).
Included in the experience is a three course meal, each course served between each act by a team of very attentive and in character servers. Dietary requests, allergies and intolerances were carefully adhered to and as one who enjoys her food, I am happy to confirm that the food was delicious! The drink was flowing too. Depending on the package you buy there is alcohol included and obviously you can add more! There is champagne to start your evening, carafes of wine and authentic cocktails to choose from.
Then of course, there is the Absinthe. Not just the green stuff either, there are 7 to choose from on the menu! A server came round, and quizzed me, she then recommended an aniseed absinthe – yum! This was a bit unfortunate as my partner was not so keen on aniseed as we had opted to experience the ‘absinthe drip’ (to be shared between the two of us) it meant that I ended up with two glasses to drink. Maybe this is why the dream sequence in the absinthe part of the show felt suitably hallucinatory.
Tickets don’t come cheap starting IRO £140, however considering all the food, entertainment and ambiance experienced over the course of the evening, it can easily be justified. The Lost Estate is definitely worth the hype! I shall be back.
Reviewer: Sammi O’Neill
Cast
Rodolphe Salis – Joe Morrow
Muse (Yvette Guilbert) – Issy Wroe Wright
Dancer (Cléo de Mérode) – Coco Belle
Mime (Paul Legrand) – Alexander Luttley
Magician (Joseph Buatier) – Neil Kelso
Musicians
Violin – Guy Button
Cello – Peteris Sokolovskis
Piano – Alex Ullman
Percussion – Will Fry
Accordion – Áine McLoughlin