Hersh Dagmarr
Indefinite Leave to Remain: The Songs of the Pet Shop Boys
The Crazy Coqs, London, UK, July 6, 2023
Reviewed by Gavin Brock
Hersh Dagmarr
Hersh Dagmarr (“with two Rs, like the two Rs in Hedi Lamarr”) presented their one-person cabaret Indefinite Leave to Remain. In this show, billed as a “love letter to London,” the performer offered a Weimar-cabaret twist on the Pet Shop Boys’ electro-pop catalogue. In the dazzling new musical arrangements by the supremely talented accompanist/music director Karen Newby, the songs were eclectically and creatively reimagined. The program encompassed many genres, from a dirty tango to a clever samba interpretation of “Single Bilingual”; it also included some mash-ups of more traditional cabaret fare, including Kander & Ebb’s classic “Cabaret” and Edith Piaf’s “Non, je ne regrette rien.” A delightfully accomplished cameo appearance by cellist Tony Gamage also brought a welcome change of musical colour to the proceedings.
Arriving on the stage bedecked in a purple velvet suit with nipple tassels and oozing 1940s decadence, Dagmarr’s beguiling stage persona struck an ironic tone that balanced melodrama and whimsy to surprisingly satisfying effect. In the intermittent monologues, we learned that Dagmarr’s stage persona is one who has existed so long that they are intimately acquainted with Christopher Isherwood himself. His “inscribed ornamental pussy” remained visible on a downstage table throughout, beside a never-explained framed photograph of Princess Diana.
The songs, presented here with a dramatic, semi-spoken delivery reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich, were well received by an adoring audience of fans. It was interesting to note how well the Pet Shop Boys’ nasal, quasi-rap output lent itself to Dagmarr’s quasi-sprechgesang delivery, and how much more vibrant the songs were stripped of their electro-pop shell. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s dour, impenetrable lyrics similarly suited the period cabaret style extremely well. And while songs like “Indefinite Leave to Remain” and “Single Bilingual” are certainly clever, for the most part they left this reviewer emotionally unmoved. Nonetheless, the audience’s ever-enthusiastic response suggested that I was in the minority on that score. Topped with a crowd-pleasing encore of “Always on My Mind,” Dagmarr’s Kabarett managed to satisfy fans of both Weimar cabaret and the Pet Shop Boy; that was no easy, but it was accomplished here with aplomb.
