Knock Twice Cabaret Returns with ‘SÉANCE’ – An Immersive After-Hours Cabaret Ritual in Liverpool
The first Knock Twice Cabaret didn’t feel like a show – it felt like a secret.
A prohibition-themed night of jazz, drag and comedy, the debut edition welcomed just fifty people into a hidden room with a clear stage, an electric atmosphere and a sense of shared discovery. It sold out fast. But for Franz Genau – the enigmatic Emcee and enfant terrible of Liverpool’s cabaret scene – the real magic wasn’t just the performance. It was the audience.
Dressed in 1920s finery, fully immersed in the world around them, the crowd carried the energy through every moment of the night – even the intermissions – as if everyone in the room knew they were part of something rare and fleeting.
Rather than scaling up, moving venues and selling more tickets, Franz is going in the opposite direction.
On 13 March, Knock Twice returns as SÉANCE – an after-hours lock-in at Lovelocks Café, pushing intimacy, immersion and audience participation even further.
There’s no raised stage. No safe distance. No traditional cabaret structure. Instead, the night unfolds around the audience, transforming cabaret into a shared ritual rather than a performance to simply watch.
“We have a fantastic and growing cabaret scene in Liverpool,” says Franz. “In March alone there are 5+ different events, and I don’t want to replicate the standard format of lineup, break, artists return for a second number in a different order. I want to create something smaller, exclusive, something that feels like a shared story – a true happening.”
Blending his German 1920s cabaret aesthetic with standout local talent, Franz has curated a lineup that mixes glamour, mysticism and theatrical intimacy.
The night features Madam Pearl, the Princess of Burlesque, alongside Lumenaate, a singer with a voice like silk and a magnetic stage presence. But the performance doesn’t stop when the acts do. During the breaks, the experience continues – audiences can have their fortune read by Rangda, the wanderer between realms, or enjoy prohibition-style drinks… if they know the password.
Everything is designed to keep the room active, attentive and slightly complicit.
The boldest innovation, however, lies in the power shift.
One lucky early-bird ticket holder will be crowned High Tease-tess of the Night, taking control of the lineup and guiding the ghostly rituals of the evening. It’s a playful, controlled handover of power that flips the traditional performer-audience relationship – turning spectators into participants.
“In the age of AI and always-available streaming, audiences are hungry for real connection,” Franz explains. “Something playful, whimsical, and human that they can actually participate in. Knock Twice isn’t my cabaret – it’s their cabaret.”
With SÉANCE, Knock Twice Cabaret continues its commitment to intimacy, local artists, and nightlife experiences that reward presence over spectacle – creating moments that only exist for the people in the room.
Knock Twice Cabaret – SÉANCE
13 March 2026
Lovelocks Coffee Shop, L1 6ER
Tickets (Early-bird tickets already sold out)
1920s dress-up strongly encouraged
