BORDELLO Emerges in London

Long before headlines buzzed about modern movements to end human trafficking, there was Raquel Liberman, a Polish woman lured to Argentina in the 1920s under false promises. Forced into prostitution, she risked her life to expose a powerful Jewish sex-trafficking ring operating in Buenos Aires. If that isn’t the stuff of gripping drama, I don’t know what is. BORDELLO, written by Barbara Bellman and co-authored by Joan Ross Sorkin, doesn’t shy away from these stark realities. Rather, it embraces the tension and heartbreak inherent in Raquel’s story, transforming it into a tribute to courage and resilience. According to recent global statistics, human trafficking remains a dire issue, which makes Raquel’s century-old story more relevant than ever.

Yet BORDELLO is not simply a sobering tale—it’s also a fervent celebration of music, tradition, and the unbreakable human spirit. While many musicals dip a toe into cultural influences, BORDELLO plunges headfirst, using tango and klezmer music to underscore the emotional stakes. Emiliano Messiez, the composer and co-orchestrator, has fused these genres to evoke Raquel’s Eastern European roots alongside the pulsing heartbeat of 1920s Argentina. The result? A tapestry of sound that honours two contrasting, yet surprisingly complementary, musical worlds.

In theatre, workshops aren’t glitzy openings with red carpets and paparazzi. They’re crucibles of creativity, where an audience’s real-time feedback can shape a show’s evolution. BORDELLO’s workshop performances will be held at the Royal Academy of Dance in London on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 March, and every ticket is £10—astonishingly affordable for a seat in the front row of the show’s development process. These are not standard test readings either; you can expect a full-blooded performance, with choreography by Racky Plews that weaves tango’s drama and klezmer’s emotional richness into each step.

One of the production’s most compelling partnerships is with Hope for Justice, a charity committed to eradicating modern slavery. Far too often, we think of sex-trafficking as some distant relic of a darker past. Hope for Justice’s involvement reminds us that the same injustices Raquel Liberman fought against continue today in various corners of the globe. By attending the workshop, you’re not only glimpsing the birth of a new musical; you’re also lending your support to a cause that resonates with the show’s historic and humanitarian core.

The All-Jewish Cast And Authentic Tango Flair

Among the many reasons BORDELLO stands out is its carefully curated, all-Jewish cast led by Tess Primack, Gina Murray, Jos Slovick, and Greg Bernstein. Their collective credits include stints in Fiddler on the Roof, Chicago, and Once, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This ensemble, rounded out by talents like Danny Becker, Georgia Permutt, Natalie Green, Ralph Bogard, Tori Scott, Lauren Ingram, Sam Baumal, Natasha Karp, Nitai Levi, Natasha Spencer-Levy, and Izzi Levine, is no stranger to big stages and emotive performances. What’s fascinating is how they’re uniting to explore both the Jewish heritage and the Argentine setting of BORDELLO—two worlds that, at first glance, might seem far apart.

Adding to the production’s authenticity, Adrien Bariki-Alaoui and Iro Davlanti-Lo from the Argentine Tango School will join the cast, ensuring that the dance sequences pulsate with genuine Argentine flair. In an era when musicals often feature a smorgasbord of dance styles, BORDELLO’s commitment to the pure tango form is a breath of fresh air. I’ve heard whisperings that the interplay between the dancers and the actors can be quite electrifying—think intricate footwork, dangerously close spins, and a constant undercurrent of tension that echoes Raquel’s predicament.

The London Musical Theatre Orchestra Joins the Adventure

No musical can soar without the right orchestra, and BORDELLO’s creative team has brought in the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, renowned for breathing life into new and classic shows alike. Heading up music supervision, co-orchestration, and vocal arrangements is Steven Goss, alongside composer Emiliano Messiez. Together, they’re crafting a sonic landscape that marries tango’s swagger with the emotive strains of klezmer. If you’ve never heard a live band switch seamlessly between these two genres, you’re in for a rare treat.

Music in theatre does more than merely entertain; it underscores narrative and emotional subtext. In BORDELLO, the score underscores Raquel’s dual identity as a Jewish woman in a foreign land—each klezmer flourish reminding her (and the audience) of her roots, each tango phrase symbolising the gritty allure and dangers of 1920s Argentina. This authenticity helps the story transcend its period setting, highlighting universal struggles faced by vulnerable women across eras and geographies.

A Unique Chance to be Part of the Creative Process

Let’s face it: we all love the romance of the finished product—costumes, choreographed finales, well-timed lighting cues. Yet any seasoned theatre aficionado knows that the real magic often happens well before opening night. These workshop performances offer a behind-the-scenes vantage point, something akin to peeking into a painter’s studio and watching the brushstrokes evolve. You’ll witness the cast mould their characters, the choreographers refine each dance step, and the creative team gauge how the audience reacts. If a musical is a living entity, then these workshops are the embryonic stage, rich with potential and thrilling in their unpredictability.

Barbara Bellman—the show’s book writer and lyricist—has made it clear how pivotal audience input is. She calls it a “rare opportunity” for theatregoers to directly influence the show’s trajectory, emphasising that BORDELLO isn’t solely a product of the creative team’s vision. Instead, it’s a collective effort that thrives on real-time feedback. The energy in the room could shift a key moment, inspire a new lyric, or confirm a musical transition. In a workshop setting, your gasps, giggles, or tears can genuinely shape what ends up in the final script.

The Beauty Of Constructive Evolution

One fascinating aspect of brand-new theatre is the elasticity of the script. A character’s arc might take a surprising turn if an audience consistently responds with confusion or rapturous applause. In some musicals, entire songs get cut or rearranged based on workshop outcomes. While this might sound daunting, it’s exactly how the best musicals solidify their identity—through trial, error, and the honest reactions of a live audience. A workshop performance is, in many ways, theatre in its purest form: raw, malleable, and reliant on communal dialogue.

For BORDELLO, that evolution is particularly resonant because the subject matter is so poignant and historically significant. There’s a responsibility in telling Raquel Liberman’s story. That responsibility extends beyond the creative team to the audience, who become active participants in ensuring the narrative remains respectful, powerful, and accurate. It’s not everyday theatre watchers get to have a voice in shaping a show’s moral and artistic landscape.

Courage And Creativity

At its heart, BORDELLO represents the courage of one woman who refused to remain silent in the face of exploitation. It’s a love letter to resilience, set against a backdrop of clandestine tango clubs and Jewish cultural threads woven into the Argentinian milieu. But above all, it’s a testament to the power of theatre as both an art form and a platform for social commentary.

When we sit in the darkened auditorium, leaning forward in anticipation, we do more than merely watch a story—we become part of it, absorbing its lessons, championing its themes, and emerging from the experience changed in subtle but significant ways. BORDELLO beckons us into that exchange, inviting us to relish the promise of a new musical that dares to tackle topics still painfully relevant today.

So if you’ve ever yearned to see something truly original and to witness, firsthand, how a show can evolve before it dazzles a broader stage, mark your diary for mid-March at the Royal Academy of Dance. Let the passionate strains of tango and klezmer wash over you, and prepare to cheer on Raquel’s brave crusade. After all, that’s what theatre does best—transport us to another time and place, only to reveal more about who we are today. And as BORDELLO hints, sometimes the darkest corners of history can illuminate our most inspiring tales of hope.