Taking the classic 1987 movie and transferring it to the stage could have been a dangerous project. The most iconic scenes in the film are so huge that surely the stage could never hold them, but with extremely skillful use of projected scenery and complex lighting design, somehow it works!
Add to that some extremely complex dance routines, all of the classic lines from the movie script, a musical score full of sultry Latin rhythms and million selling hit tunes and a troupe of dancers who wouldn’t look out of place alongside the “Strictly” professionals and you have a formula that keeps the movie lovers happy and devotees of live theatre amazed.
Although a few extra scenes have been added to the theatre show, to keep it moving at a good pace, the plotline is still paper thin and, as the title suggests, the show is all about the dancing which plays to the strengths of the cast.
Claire Rogers, as Penny, is, quite simply, the most spectacular dancer. Her moves are strong and sultry and, just like the superb dancer Cyd Charisse, she has legs that go all the way up to her armpits. Together with the ensemble, who all display beautiful style and unsurpassed skill, they bring Kate Champion’s superb choreography to life amazingly well.
Central to the success of the production are the two main characters of Johnny and “Baby”, played by Gareth Bailey and Roseanna Frascona. In act one they work well individually, but there is little “chemistry” in their first meetings. Having said that, act two is a completely different story and, by the time Johnny delivers the iconic “Noboby puts Baby in a corner” line, the audience are totally behind him and they bring the house down.
As mentioned before, this is primarily a showcase of superb dancing, which sticks faithfully to the movie script, ensuring that those who have seen the film many times, and the vast majority of the audience appear to fall into that category, are left delighted.
**** Four stars