Racky Plews’ new touring production of Footloose is certainly a crowd-pleaser. A show that’s definitely all about the song and dance, this perky revamp has been well cast to capitalise on the youthful energy that drives the narrative.
And there is a lot of narrative – so much so that the early scenes feel a little bogged down by scene setting – and the opening rendition of the title song falls a little flat. However, by the time we reach ‘The Girl Gets Around’ the pace is beginning to pick up and the cast get their first ovation of the evening. This is followed by Ren’s first big number ‘I Can’t Stand Still’ in which Joshua Hawkins is revealed to be this production’s secret weapon.
In fact, it turns out that Hawkins, along with Lucy Munden as Ariel and Tom Mussell as Chuck are the real stars of the evening, turning out consistently great song and dance routines along with genuinely heartfelt storytelling. Jake Quickenden’s Willard is full of humour, and he too pulls some excellent physical performance out of the bag. It’s Darren Day who is the biggest surprise. Whilst he delivers some great vocals, his reading of The Rev. Moore is too urbane, almost to the point of being avuncular. He fails to inject a sense of real threat into his abhorrence of music and dancing, and his conversion as the story resolves itself feels too easily won.
If the first half might be a little tortuous, Act II really finds some energy and momentum, reaching its peak in the show-stopping ‘Mama Says’; a great company number that really earns its quick reprise. It’s in this act that we really forget worrying about the plot and get to properly enjoy the music, which is the focus of the work. Sara Perks has created a versatile set that enables everything to keep moving seamlessly, also allowing us to catch glimpses of the band. It’s a nice touch that a pre-show announcement reminds the audience that all instruments we see onstage are being played live by the actors – something that often goes unappreciated in a world of triple-threat performers.
Once it breaks free of the heavy boots it’s wearing in Act I and gets its dancing shoes on, Footloose is an infectious evening, and with the audience on their feet for the closing reprise of the title song, it sends everyone home with a spring in their step.
Star Rating: Three Stars
Production photography © Mark Senior
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| Joshua Hawkins & Lucy Munden |
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| The cast of Footloose |
This review was originally written for and published by Musical Theatre Review
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