Malvern Festival Theatre
(Theatre Royal Bath Productions with Robert Stigwood)
Theatre Royal Bath has done it AGAIN! Their revival of
Saturday Night Fever, in association with Robert Stigwood, is phenomenal.
Breathtaking. Stunning!
The date is 1976 and in New York, Tony Manero, a young man from a tough
Brooklyn neighbourhood with a dead-end job and an extraordinary ability to
dance, has only one ambition in life - to become the disco king. Every Saturday night, Tony dons his
flares and hits the dance floor, creating a stir as he wows the crowds with his
phenomenal moves and routines. When he meets Stephanie, who also dreams of a
world beyond Brooklyn, and they decide to train together for a dance
competition, their lives begin to change forever.
Ryan McBryde’s creative vision and direction has stripped
this musical back to its gritty, pre John Travolta, roots. This coming of age
story is raw and fresh and as relevant now as in the decade of disco, when it
is set. The original and classic Bee Gee’s discography score has be superbly
reinvented by Musical Supervisor, Paul Herbert, making it contemporary and more
relevant to the storyline and modern audiences, in an Ed Sheeran, Jessie Jay
and Sam Smith style, while remaining true to the original genius. Simon Kenny’s
brilliant design cleverly incorporates movie projections on a simplistic and
functional set to bring the stage to life as the action seamlessly glides from
scene to scene. All this is topped off with Andrew Wright’s delicious
choreography, which fuses classic ballroom with iconic disco that is perfectly
executed by the unbelievably talented cast of actor musicians.
Danny Bayne absolutely nails the lead role of the anti-hero,
Tony Manero, giving the performance of a lifetime with his honest
characterisation, awesome vocals and dynamic moves! Naomi Slights is a
wonderfully captivating match as his muse and love interest, Stephanie and
Bethany Linsdell is equally endearing as Annette, the victim of Tony’s
unrequited affections. Every single person in the cast is truly amazing,
without exception, as they showcase their wealth of talent across all of the
performing disciplines. CiCi Howells has to be mentioned for her powerhouse
vocals, as the Club Singer, that were hauntingly woven through the protagonists
journey of self realisation.
This is musical theatre at its best! Make sure you see this
production. It runs at Malvern Theatres until Saturday before continuing on the
UK tour.
5 STARS!
Sorry Rob - I clearly didn't see the same show you did. Danny Bayne was excellent, holding it all together but the stripped back versions of classic disco tracks was a complete mistake - the whole point is that the disco provides a relief from the gritty reality of life, yet in this version, I wouldn't be able to see why any of the protagonists would bother - it was just a drab and dreary as the outside world. The current trend of having the band with instruments on stage is now over-used and, in a show about dance, gets in the way of the dancing! The other members of the cast did little to support Danny in his solo toil, and the direction meant there was no natural pause after a song or dance number to allow the audience to express their appreciation - leading to a slightly uncomfortable situation for all, where actors ended up walking around to the sound of their own footsteps. A word to all involved - it's a classic soundtrack, don't mess with it. Too much grit and not enough opportunity to "put on your boogie shoes" - a real shame!
ReplyDeleteHi Quiller - Thanks for your eloquent response to my review. This is what I love about art! Different people having different opinions about the same thing.
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