©Tristram Kenton
Anyone, who's a fan of musicals will know of 'Fame'. And it's with great joy that we see it return to the stage in a production that lightly mimics the original. Jane McGowan's review highlights that "the show rattles along with passion and pizzazz" and we're confident you'll remember the name.
Details
Venue: New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Price: From £23.00
Upcoming Shows & Times:
4th & 5th Oct; 7.30pm
6th Oct; 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Tickets: atgticket.com
Our Verdict
On tour again to make its 30th anniversary, Fame the Musical picks up where Alan Parker’s celebrated 1980 movie left off, introducing the audience to the New York High School for Performing Arts’ cohort of 1982.
The action begins with the brutal audition process, acted out to the immortal words, “You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying...in sweat”. One by one we meet the protagonists, who while all having different names, nevertheless mirror the characters from the film and spin-off TV show. There’s Tyrone a troubled black dancer with literacy issues (think Leroy); Serena, an over-enthusiastic, quirky drama student with crush on her classmate (Doris); a sentimental pianist, a feisty Spanish diva, and of course a teacher who insists hitting your academic grades are just as important as hitting the high note – cue battle between Miss Sherman and educationally-challenged Tyrone and the will he/won’t he be able to perform in the Junior Show debacle.
There are some famous names in the cast who all deliver solid performances: Jorgie Porter (Hollyoaks, Dancing on Ice) as stuck-up ballerina Iris does well with both the singing and the dancing. While Keith Jack (Any Dream Will Do) whose soaring vocals and sincere demeanour make for a very convincing wannabe actor trying to shed his cute child star past; and Soul diva Mica Paris brought the house down with her second half bluesy ballad.
©Tristram Kenton
But credit must also go to the less well-known cast members, including Stephanie Rojas who gives a tremendous turn as the troubled, drug-fuelled diva whose over-arching ambition ultimately leads to tragedy. Simon Anthony as Schlomo also shines as the shy musician secretly in love with the feisty Carmen. Not only is Anthony an accomplished pianist, guitarist and vocalist, he also performs a complex tap routine. Bravo that man. And not to forget Molly McGuire (a former pupil at Guildford’s PPA) as lovelorn geek Serena who matched the more experienced Jack in both acting and vocals.
The set and lighting design by Morgan Large and Prema Mehta respectively worked really well. The backdrop of ‘year-book-style’ images illuminating the corridors and classrooms of the rundown school perfectly to capture the mood of each number.
As with many musicals based on films or TV, it’s the songs that let the showdown. While all are performed with gusto and aplomb, not one of them apart from the eponymous closing number, is memorable. In fact, neither I or my daughter could hum any of the numbers from the first half by the time the interval came around. The stories too are a little clichéd and have been played out many times. Not only in the film and the 2009 remake and TV series but in more recent incarnations such as High School Musical and current teen dance drama The Next Step.
Nevertheless, the show rattles along with passion and pizzazz – making it the perfect antidote to these damp autumn evenings. Now, where did I put those leg warmers…
