Ladies and Gentlemen, wilkommen… bienvenue… welcome to the Kit Kat Klub, a world of decadence, delight and depravity- a world where your innermost fantasies and darkest thoughts can be played out in the world of cabaret.

Cabaret is set against the backdrop of the rise of Nazi Germany and centres on the character of Sally Bowles (Liza Minelli), an American cabaret singer at the Kit Kat Klub. When Englishman Brian Roberts (Michael York), arrives in Berlin with the intention of teaching English, he encounters Sally while looking for a place to stay and rents a room in the same building. Despite the fact that Brian hasn’t had much luck with women in the past, Sally sets about seducing him and he becomes sucked into the world of the cabaret. But will Sally and Brian’s relationship survive once rich aristocrat Maximilian von Heune is initiated into their circle of friends? And what will become of Brian and Sally’s friend, Fritz, a gold-digger, when he becomes involved with Natalia, a jewish heiress?

Armed with the information that this is a Bob Fosse film, it’s not surprising that the choreography is stunning. One of the most iconic images of the twentieth century is that of Liza Minelli singing ‘Mein Herr’, with her Louise Brooks style haircut, dressed in a bowler hat, waistcoat, stockings and suspenders, draped, legs spread, across a chair in one of the most fantastically energetic dance scenes ever filmed. Like the songs, the dances aren’t just there to look good, there is always a thought and an impulse behind each step, investing the dances with an strong impact.

Michael York’s portrayal of the quiet Englishman struggling with his sexuality amid the wild decadence of the cabaret is perfect, while Liza Minelli truly sparkles in the role of the ‘divinely decadent’ Sally Bowles, unsurprising when you learn that the part was originally written with her in mind. Portraying a character who is at once brash but vulnerable, and infuriating but loveable, Minelli was thoroughly deserving of the Best Actress Oscar she won for this film (and I am one of Ms. Minelli’s biggest critics!) and she belts out the songs as only she can. Joel Grey was another Oscar winner, this time for Best Supporting Actor, and he plays the Emcee perfectly, knowing exactly when to camp it up and give a knowing wink or a suggestive smirk to the camera. The chemistry between Grey and Minelli is sensational, especially in the gloriously materialist ‘Money, Money’, where they seem to delight in feeding off each other’s responses.

If you’re looking for a DVD with a vast amount of special features you’ll be delighted with the 30th Anniversary edition: It contains the 1997 documentary “Cabaret: A Legend in the Making”, which includes interviews with the cast and the production team, as well as a glimpse at initial the screen tests. The 1972 documentary “The Re-creation of an Era” is also included, although this is shorter and less informative. The ‘Kit Kat Klub Memory Gallery’ features reminiscences from the cast (including Liza Minelli, Michael York, and Joel Grey) and creators (Kander & Ebb, Cy Feuer- the producer), showing how the characters were styled and costumed.

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The Standard price for this special edition DVD is £19.99, but dvd.co.uk have it for only £13.99