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Review- Footloose

November 18, 2008

Date Reviewed: 18th November, 2008
Venue: The Opera House

star

When I last saw the hit musical Footloose, the cast, including Tommy Sherlock and Miria Parvin were excellent, and along with the ensemble, they lifted the slim concept of city boy fighting repression in a small town via dance and music, to great heights.

Unfortunately, this current touring production looks a bit tired and sluggish.

The plot remains the same; Ren (a too old Stephen Webb) is still trying to get Rev Shaw Moore (Richard Grieve) to lighten up, following an accident, involving his son. In turn, this young and energetic man-about-town woos the minister’s daughter, Ariel (Twinnie-Lee More). 

Cue the music, including hits from the film version, starring Kevin Bacon and some new material, includng “Learning To Be Silent” and “Can You Find It In Your Heart?” The problem is, many of the slower songs literally grind the plot to a halt, leaving the audience almost begging for the fast paced hits they know and love.

The pacing has never really been a problem before, but due to some lacklustre performances, the holes in the plot and some duff lyrics are now exposed. Webb has all the right moves, but when he opens his mouth, he sounds like he has wandered onto the set, straight from A Streetcar Named Desire. His slow Southern drawl starts to grate, as a result.

Likewise Moore’s Ariel is a bit of a damp squib, as her performance is not showy enough to stand out. Maureen Nolan looks like she is sleep-walking in the thankless role of Vi Moore; Ariel’s mother. But, it is not helped by her English accent,  making it hard to believe she is a mom. Grieve fleshes out his role nicely, adding emotion, where there is none.

But there are two supporting performers who make this show worth seeing. They are Jodie Jacobs and Simon Lipkin as the best friends Rusty and Willard, respectively. These two made The Wedding Singer an attractive invite and they pull the same trick here too, via their energy, great vocals, fancy footwork and superb comic timing. Give them some lead roles, please!

Karen Bruce’s choreography is still exhilarating and does provide Footloose with the sparks it needs. It’s a shame though that there isn’t more of it, as this production fizzes then goes flat, whenever the dance is replaced by dialogue.

The ensemble do try and stop the show from flagging and they almost achieve their goal, but there is still something missing from this touring production.

Namely, the leads have no chemistry and are out performed by their co-stars, meaning that instead of cutting loose, there are moments when you hold out for the best friend, as opposed to the hero.

-Glenn Meads

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