Rendezvous with Marlene starring Ute Lemper at Club Cumming Online

A cabaret artist, an actress, a World War II hero, a bisexual progressive: Marlene Dietrich was many things, and there is no one better suited to tell her story than Ute Lemper. Taking place in 1988, Rendezvous with Marlene re-enacts a three-hour phone call between an elderly Dietrich nearing the end of her life and a young Lemper receiving the torch of a multifaceted career in an extraordinary art form.

The lead is the modern-day embodiment of the disappearing art of cabaret. From her slightly raspy yet perfectly harmonious voice to her 1920s-era German good looks, Lemper’s charm on stage is almost hypnotising. Set against the backdrop of an old-style cabaret lounge, the one-woman show is a blend of song, music and narration as the performer takes her audience on a journey through the life of an icon.

Phasing between herself and the international legend, Lemper looks back on Dietrich’s many roles, her deep-set passion for acting and singing, as well as her experience in World War II and post-Nazi Germany. She delves into the sadness of the subject’s lost love, whether it be for the many figures that passed through the star’s life, or for the art, nation, fame and luxury in which she once relished.

The actor’s costume and set changes dazzle alongside playful interactions with the bartender and her band in a spectacle of classic French burlesque, New York’s Broadway, Chicago jazz and early Hollywood all at once. Her performance is everything you want to see as a lover of old-style theatre, or even as one who simply enjoys basking in dark, smoke-filled jazz clubs. Dietrich’s story is a fascinating one, and Lemper certainly does it justice. 

Kari Megeed
Photo: Russ Rowland

Rendezvous with Marlene starring Ute Lemper is being live-streamed from Club Cumming on 25^th November and 5^th December 2020. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.