4 STARS, May 17-20. Kick off your Sunday shoes, dance off your bobby socks and join the prom at Bomont High for a sparkling, high kickin', hand jivin’ 80s night.
The phrase “footloose and fancy free” champions the spirit of youth.
Written as a nine-song screenplay in 1984, Footloose was thus titled because it was, “one of those interesting words that looks good on paper—you see it scrawled across a billboard, and it sells itself." .
The stage production certainly took Broadway by storm in 1998 and burst onto the West End stage in 2006.
Footloose is a pastiche of 80s sounds, colours and fashions. Blasts from the past include Bonnie Tyler’s Holding out for a Hero, the show’s best performed number, headlined by the diminutive Ariel Moore (Hannah Price). Do you recall the original? Big flicky perm and shoulder pads? Then, there was Let’s Hear it for the Boy! with the iconic lyrics, “maybe he’s no Romeo, but he’s my lovin’ one-man show, oh whoa……”
The theme of the show is all about teenage rebellion. Trouble brews as city boy Ren (Joshua Dowen) buses in from Boston to carve up the rural God-fearing backwater of Bomont and falls head-over-heels in love with the Reverend’s daughter. He’s in for a shock as he learns that dancing and loud music are banned by the town folk, still mourning for five teenagers tragically killed in a freak accident. He has a fight on his hands to get the laws overturned and the town rocking.
Willard sums up the general attitude of his peers with the famous quote, “Yeah man. We got laws up the poop shoot here.”
Almost unrecognisable as a cotton pickin’ hillbilly, the role of Willard is played by Gareth Gates, clad in dungarees and dangling a tooth pick. Some fine comedic moments demonstrate his talent as an all-round entertainer and singer. In a twist to the script, glimpses of the popstar, who shot to meteoric fame in ITV’s Pop Idol, can be momentarily seen sashaying around in a pair of gold lame hotpants, with some finely chiselled abs and oozing sex appeal.
Throughout the show, costumes are stylised and retain the spirit of the age with fashion trends that people love to hate. 80s apparel is bright and vivid with matching belt and braces. One word sums up Ariel’s red cowboy boots - “gorgeous!”
Maureen Nolan, talented actress and singer (part of the Nolan sister crew) gave a heartfelt performance as Vi, Rev Shaw Moore’s wife with a singing voice that commands pindrop silence. Moments of true artistry included her performance of Can You Find It In Your Heart?
Highlights of the show include the love theme, Almost Paradise. Smooth as silk and performed to perfection by teenage sweethearts, Ren and Ariel. Melodious harmonies peak in the second and third verses with truly breathtaking clarity. Performed on a high ledge, as if reaching for the clouds, moments of passion incorporate a “wobble” to great effect where they both giggle and cling to each other.
The build up to the electrifying finale is a tease and pays homage to the original film with a curtain opening halfway to reveal just the feet and legs of the performers. In the opening credits of the film, a camera homes in on 23 pairs of feet and ankles. One by one the feet and ankles start to groove to the Footloose theme tune. Each pair of feet is clad in different socks and shoes. Here, in keeping with the original, the seventh person sports some ditzy red heart socks.
The finale explodes into a toe tapping, high energy spectacular which leaves the audience screaming for more and grooving to Kenny Loggin’s iconic theme tune:
“Now I gotta cut loose, Footloose
Kick off your Sunday shoes
Please Louise, pull me off my knees
Jack get back, come on before we crack.”
This is a brilliant, not-to-be-missed classic which remains true to the original. One big blast!
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