Fame (Tour-Bristol Hippodrome)

When the young students burst into dance; in the classrooms, the canteen, the studio, on the stage; a rush of energy ricochets through the Bristol Hippodrome. It makes you wonder if the Hippodrome operates best when it is showcasing dance, coming so soon after last weeks dazzling Swan Lake. It certainly operates best when showcasing the spectacular, the cavernous size of Frank Mathcum’s grand theatre does make it difficult for any performer to give detailed, forensic like performances.

Not that there is much worry of that in Fame. Like Gary Lloyd‘s production in general, everything, the music, performances, volume and lighting is turned up to a 100, as if there is a belief that if are senses are battered long enough, we won’t notice the fundamental emptiness lying at the centre of this performance. Unlike the Alan Parker film, the darkness that stems from the tragedy of demanding ‘fame’ is glossed over for a contrived mega mix finale that may have got people up on their feet, but judging by a lot of faces around me, hardly brought joy.

The new version of Fame is much like the old one, only with the occasional mention of acts like Rhianna and Gary Oldman to feel hip, and new orchestrations and vocal lines none of which can hold a candle to the original version. The band on stage veers dangerously close to a car crash, some of the tunes slow to a dirge, at others it’s painfully out of time. Things improve in the second half, mostly because it features more heavily the three most accomplished singers in the cast, Jodie Steele delivers the 11 0’clock number and shows she has a fine pair of lungs to go with her washboard stomach, Molly Stewart nails her one opportunity to shine with her gospel lament for food and Landi Oshinowo is an accomplished vocalist as the English teacher who wants the students to focus on their education as well as their art.

The rest of the young cast struggled to make an impact in this production though. Alex Thomas is a terrific dancer, when he begins to move your eyes don’t leave him, he’s lithe, charismatic and poised to take off. However when he has to play the book scenes there is something off, he looks uncomfortable, the swagger has dissipated.. Joseph Giacone makes the most of the cocksure Joe Vegas but the central lovers are rather dull though Sarah Harlington sings sweetly and Alex Jordan-Mills has the earnestness down pat.