Music as a meta-technique
This larp uses the act of performing music as a meta-technique. We consider the act of performing music to be a very strong way to get in touch with the character’s emotions through bodily engagement.
The designers want this experience to be available to anyone who wants to try, even if they are not experienced performers. You don’t need to be a good singer or performer to do a meta-number song in Cabaret; the only thing needed is that you are prepared to sing in front of others. If there are more people who want to do meta-numbers than there are slots, we will decide who performs by lottery rather than by qualifications.
Types of performances
There are 3 types of performances in Cabaret
- Act finales – sung at the end of the act by all 60 players.
- Meta songs – optional monologue songs by individual characters.
- Stage group performances – rehearsed before the larp by a small group of players and peformed in-game.
You can read more about the different types of performances below.
Act finales
Each act ends with a finale song sung by all the characters. These songs wrap up the act thematically.
Lyrics for these songs are available on the tables and there will be a character in the lead who will provide guide vocals to sing along with.
The songs, lyrics and karaokes will be made available to the players before the game.
Meta songs
Meta songs are performed in blocks of 2-3 songs. These songs serve as monologues that showcase the inner world of the various characters. These performances are witnessed by the players rather than the characters. This is an optional performance opportunity available to anyone not in the stage group. If we have more sign-ups than spots we will do a lottery to determine who gets to perform a meta song.
Sign up for this if:
- You feel comfortable preparing your own song beforehand.
- You want the experience of singing on the stage.
If you want more information have a look at the meta song page.
Stage group performances
The stage group is there to bring the Silhouette nightclub to life. If you are in the stage group you will be playing a character who is in some shape or form a performer in the Silhouette. During the larp they are the ones performing the diegetic (in character) musical numbers. There are three per act. Not every performer is in every song, but we rehearse together.
If you are interested in the stage group please read all the information available here.
