On 28 August at 9:15pm, Margaret Curry will be in London performing her show The Space In-Between at Crazy Coqs at Brasserie Zedel. Among the songs on offer will be Something’s Got to Give performed with a driving pop-Latin groove which would have done credit to Esquivel, a heartfelt and hard hitting Ain’t Nobody and Day In Day Out in a supple arrangement which begin modernist and minimalist, powered by percussion, and flowers into the raw silk of the star’s vocals.

But Margaret Curry is much more than just a singer, and The Space In-Between is much more than merely a cabaret performance. “It came from a fascination with what exists in those transitional moments of life. I started writing about them, and my director Lina Koutrakos helped shape that writing into the show. The music followed, and it was magical how arrangements Gregory Toroian and I had already been developing slipped right into place.”

The Space In-Between blends song, narrative, and acting. “All these elements are essential. The songs and stories are woven together to create a living exploration. That said, it’s still cabaret, so there’s definitely more music than spoken word. The show explores the different kinds of spaces we find ourselves in when we’re ‘in between’ something—relationships, phases, decisions. We journey through music, narrative, and emotion with that lens.” All this with a dash of dark comedy.

Pondering her influences, Margaret Curry says, “I was drawn to cabaret through the South African-born performer Natalie Gamsu, who was in New York when I first started exploring the scene. Her deeply personal yet universally resonant storytelling and bold, emotional interpretations made a huge impression on me. Cabaret in NYC is its own thing—it can encompass storytelling, camp, drag, burlesque, tribute shows—but I was drawn to the music-meets-narrative style. Natalie, in my opinion, sets the bar for risk-taking and depth. And I’ve also been deeply influenced by Lina Koutrakos, my director. I’ve studied with her and learned from her for decades—she’s a true master storyteller.”

Looking further back, she reflects, “I grew up listening to all the greats—Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland. I still listen constantly—to singers, musicians, songwriters at all levels. I never know who or what will teach or spark something.”

And in terms of her acting, the influences are fascinating and eclectic. “Hands down: Meryl Streep, Gena Rowlands, Sissy Spacek, Laura Linney. On stage, Laurie Metcalf and Jodie Comer. But I draw inspiration from all levels of performance—I’m always watching, always learning.”

For her performances here Margaret Curry has assembled a crack creative team, bringing them with her to the UK from NYC—David Silliman on drums, Skip Ward on bass, and Gregory Toroian on piano. I asked if these are long-standing collaborations. “Yes, we’ve worked together for several years now. I was previously working with the late, great Rick Jensen. After his passing, I was fortunate to be introduced to Gregory’s work, and we’ve been working together ever since. He, Skip, and David have played together for decades and have a fantastic shorthand. It’s an absolute joy to create with them. They’re not only incredible musicians—they also sing background vocals while playing, which adds a lot to the show. Not everyone can do that. I feel incredibly lucky to have them with me for this London debut.”

It’s Margaret’s third year performing The Space In-Between. I asked her how it has evolved. “It’s deepened. I keep discovering new threads and connections in the material. Even though I wrote it, over time it becomes something outside of me—like working on any script. My relationship to it changes. And with musicians as responsive and present as mine, we’re always discovering new textures. The music is never exactly the same twice. That’s what I love about live performance—it’s always alive.”

Not content with being both an actor and a singer, Margaret also writes, directs and produces. “Right now I’m in the midst of daily performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Who We Become: One-Acts by Lanford Wilson (12:50 PM at theSpaceUK). I’m not only performing in it—I also brought the production over as producer—so that’s had my full focus. It’s been going wonderfully so far; audiences have been truly riveted.”

So no time to catch other people’s shows? “Gregory and I hope to find a few open mics to drop into around the 28^th, and my consulting producer is putting together a list of things to do while we’re in London. But the Fringe is its own beautiful whirlwind—I’ll dive into that London list once we wrap on the 23^rd!”

And on the 28^th, Margaret and her collaborators will be diving into Brasserie Zedel with a unique blend of music, story-telling and performance. Come to the cabaret…

 ©Andrew Cartmel for ukjazznews.com