Cabaret in Estonia making a comeback, says organizer Kaisa Ling
Estonian cabaret is enjoying a revival, with shows that blur the line between stage and audience with connection in entertainment, says organizer and performer Kaisa Ling.
Burlesque as a genre is common on both cabaret and variety show stages. All three have evolved over centuries, but "Late Night Cabaret" organizer Kaisa Ling says the heart of cabaret remains the same: live interaction.
"There is no fourth wall," she said. "We're all together."
Both performers and spectators also share a common goal: to escape the everyday. "To take a moment to be together and do something as one — we take the leap together," Ling explained.
Cabaret is enjoying increasing attention in Estonia. "A show where each performance is different, where each time the stage finds a new perspective, and the evening's entertainment is always fresh and exciting — truly, no one else is doing this," she noted.
The talent pool is surprisingly large as well. Ling keeps a spreadsheet of 120 performers, including local stars and international acts from Tallinn Fringe Festival.
In the past three years, she's been amazed by how many artists in Estonia are performing comedy, circus, burlesque and magic shows.
"I'm constantly working, spending most of my day reaching out to different people through every platform to invite them to perform," Ling said.
Performers call cabaret a rare space to express themselves.
"This is my job, my profession and my passion," said fire dancer Alisa Merkurieva. "It's a place where you can express yourself as you feel. It's also a beautiful and special community that inspires me personally."
Ling views cabaret as both socially meaningful and artistically significant.
"It's needed now more than ever to help us cope together in this very tense atmosphere — people's sense of humor has really grown rigid," she said.
Cabaret also offers participants a democratic, inclusive space. "Everyone is welcomed and allowed, both in the audience and on stage," she said. "This is my answer and remedy to people's loneliness."
Being able to laugh at oneself is also a help.
Burlesque performer Katarina von Schatz described her genre as "a fairytale for adults, but also stand-up comedy without words. But above all, we like to make fun of ourselves."
Negative feedback has been rare. "It's nice to see that our audience is very democratic, just like all our artists," Ling said.
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Editor: Annika Remmel, Aili Vahtla
