They say good things come to those who wait, and for Dale Bassett - a former theatrical and musical entertainer - that’s certainly true. This week will see Dale finally open the doors of Sonata Piano Bar & Cabaret Lounge in the city centre, a project he’s dreamed of launching for many years.
Inspired by the style of New York and Berlin cabaret clubs of the past, the late night venue will play host to an eclectic mix of international and award-winning artists - including West End stars and pop sensations.
“This is my first time running a bar, so it’s a massive learning curve, but I’ve got a fantastic team who are really experienced in hospitality,” explains Dale. “I trained as a performer, went to drama school in London and got into the cabaret scene there, so did a lot of hosting, but then I left that all behind to get a ‘proper’ job and over the last 15 years I’ve worked in education and business.
READ MORE:
“I always had this dream of opening a little piano bar, and in lockdown, like a lot of people I was thinking about my priorities and what I wanted to be doing and thought, you know what, let’s give it a try, so 18 months later here we are."
Tucked down St Ann’s Alley, just past Manchester institution Mr Thomas’s Chop House, access to the new late-night spot is granted through a lit-up, speakeasy-style doorway, which leads down to what was once the basement storeroom of Boots chemist on King Street. Below, visitors are ushered into a well-appointed bar, featuring Le Chat Noir posters - nodding to the influences of European cabaret clubs - mirror-panelled columns and tightly packed seating facing towards the bar’s main stage and its white grand Yamaha piano.
Off to the sides, plush red banquette seating, designed for larger groups, frame the space and are lit by exposed golden-hued filament lighting - creating an intimate and enticing atmosphere. “We’re trying to evoke a little bit of the classic 20s and 30s-era Berlin, and also the modern New York cabaret bar, but then it’s also really important that we bring a warm Manchester spirit to it.
And what about actually getting to the bar, you might ask. Well luckily at Sonata, as Dale reassures us, it’s “100 percent table service, so when you come in, you can take a seat, and we will look after you for the rest of the night”.
Open seven nights a week, drinks will be served into the early hours thanks to a late licence, and should you feel peckish after a night of full entertainment, there’s a selection of cheeses, charcuterie boards and bar snacks on hand. “We’ve got a really great selection of drinks, many with a strong local influence.
“We’ve got Brightside, an independent, family-owned brewery, just outside of Bury; wines from C&O wines based in Timperley; and in terms of cocktails and spirits, we’re not trying to outdo some of the fantastic, cutting-edge bars in Manchester, we’re just trying to do the classics really well.”
Drinks aside, Dale’s main focus is on music and entertainment, which will naturally take centre stage thanks to the state-of-the-art sound system, grand piano and stellar line-up of acts. “I’ve been really keen to have a huge diversity of acts so there’s something for everyone.
“We’ve got some real veterans of the Manchester music scene, people like Jeremy Sassoon, the jazz pianist and vocalist, as well as a duo called the Retrosettes, who are stalwarts of the Manchester music scene.” They’ll be joined by West End star Alex Young, cabaret icon Paulus, soul singer and pianist Charlie Cooper and pop sensation Passmore.
Olivier award-winning composer Richard Thomas and comedian and singer Sooz Kempner will bring their original show ‘Wrong Songs’ to Sonata in July, while Berlin-based cabaret sensation, Jack Woodhead, and American piano-vocalist, Andrew J Boyer, will also take to the stage.
Above all else though, Dale, who has poured his heart and soul into getting Sonata to where it is today, just wants people to have a great time. “It’s about coming down with friends to a really nice, welcoming venue, you’ll be taken care of in a relaxed, chilled space."
READ NEXT:
