Paradise Under The Stars brings Cuban cabaret to life in West Kensington

Step through the doors of a nondescript venue in West Kensington and you’re not in London anymore. You’re somewhere warmer, louder and far more decadent: Havana, circa 1950. It’s here that Paradise Under The Stars, the latest immersive spectacular by The Lost Estate, invites audiences to dance, dine and disappear into the age of Cuban cabaret.

Helmed by The Lost Estate’s co-founder Eddy Hackett, Paradise Under The Stars is inspired by the Tropicana Club, a historic music and dance venue in Havana that’s been around since the 1930s. For Hackett, the goal was to build an entire world. “We really push the creative ideals of our shows,” he explains. “So, they’re probably more spectacular in their execution than they were back in 2018 when things were much more homespun.”

Hackett, a classically trained percussionist, co-founded The Lost Estate with fellow musicians from institutions such as the Royal College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. Their mission is to take classical and live music out of the concert hall and place it into immersive theatrical worlds. The creative process behind Paradise Under The Stars began, as Hackett puts it, with a question: what actually happened? “We root all of our shows in history,” he says, “and then we let the fantasy bloom out of that.”

Music was the foundation. “We start with a source document – in this case, a musical timeline – and build everything else on top of that”, says Hackett. That meant curating an evening of Cuban music that was not only historically accurate but emotionally dynamic. Collaborating with an all-star ensemble of Cuban artists, including co-musical director Yelfris Valdes and choreographer Luanda Pau, the team shaped The Heart of Cuba, a revue tracing Cuba’s musical and cultural journey from Afro-Cuban folklore to Tropicana glitz.

The West Kensington venue has been transformed into a lush, sultry Cuban dream complete with tropical florals, palm trees, glowing stars overhead and a hand-painted ceiling evoking Havana’s warm night sky. The evening unfolded in chapters, beginning with ancient island legends and culminating in the golden age of the Tropicana cabaret. Each act was paired with a course of authentic Cuban cuisine, and the themed cocktails kept the spirit of Cuba flowing all night long. A live band provided the music while dancers, singers and an engaging emcee moved through the audience, blurring the line between performer and guest.

“Authenticity for us is everything”, Hackett says. “Rooting the show in the real culture and working with people who’ve lived and breathed that art form gives the whole experience its power.” Hackett’s own connection to Cuban music runs deep. He studied the rhythms as a young percussionist in London and later in New York, where he played with Nuyorican musicians. When the team discovered Tropicana Nights (2005), Rosa Lowinger’s memoir detailing the club’s mid-century peak, Paradise Under The Stars was born.

The event, which runs through October, is immersive with a focus on detail. “Your table should feel like a work of art”, Hackett says. “And when the music starts, you’re a part of it.”

Looking ahead, The Lost Estate has bold ambitions. A smaller, jazz-driven show called 58th Street is running at their Peckham venue, but the bigger plan is to expand across the UK and eventually to the US. “We’re looking at cities like Manchester, Glasgow, Atlanta, even Denver,” Hackett says. “Places rich in culture, ready for something new.”