80s Extravaganza Concert

Once again, I was delighted to be invited to review the Stardust Theatre Company For All concert and this time they have transported us back to the decade of neon, legwarmers and power ballads in a joyous 80s Extravaganza. 

With the support of Producer Sara Sprague, Creative Director Kei Bailey, imaginative creative choreography from Kelly Warran, and an engaging script by Jo Warrick the Stardust team have once again provided a platform showcasing the students confidence, individuality and remarkable talents demonstrating the company’s unwavering commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

One of Stardust’s strengths is its inclusive ethos. Every performer is supported by an on-stage facilitator who quietly builds up their confidence, offers reassurance where needed without ever distracting from their performance, ensuring the spotlight remains on the students themselves.

The show began front of tabs with Jo Warrick supporting Becki Doughty, dressed as Cyndi Lauper in vibrant dayglo tutu, chatting excitedly about an 80s party. They were joined by Ian Norton magnificently channelling his inner diva as Cher in black leather shorts, long curly wig and skyscraper heeled suede boots, accompanied by Jack Strange as George Michael with his trademark leather jacket and dark sunglasses.  Following a pun from Jack Strange, the curtains pulled back to reveal the whole cast dressed as 80s icons giving a lively rendition of Wham’s Wake Me Up Before You Go Go hand-jiving along to the beat. 

Turn Back Time was performed enthusiastically by Jack, fist bumping the audience and encouraging them to clap along. He was followed by selected cast members performing to Neverending Story and then Ian and Jack Strange became celebrities in the Bros classic ‘When Will be I Be Famous’ with cast members acting as paparazzi and swooning groupies. 

Next up was Josh Lane as Rick Astley, wearing his signature long overcoat, singing live to Never Gonna Give You Upwhose confident charismatic performance had the audience in the palm of his hand.  Brianna Sprague dressed head to toe in pink, then sang Katrina and the Waves up-beat Walkin’ On Sunshine giving another confident performance. 

The mood shifted into classic rock as Jason Radford, dressed as Guns ‘n’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose, who performed and sang an energetic and confident version of Sweet Child O’ Mine accompanied by Ollie Roy dressed as lead guitarist Slash. 

One of the concert’s most moving moments came when the company signed along to Cyndi Lauper’s beautiful ballad True Colours further illustrating the inclusive ethos at the heart of Stardust.

Moments of humour were provided by Jo Warrick, as she tried to create a suitable dressing-up outfit for the 80s Party with one hilarious moment dressing as the Stay Puft marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. The cast then joined in to perform the title song. This was followed by a high-octane performance of Madness’s Baggy Trousers featuring William and Adam Fielding wearing matching red fezzes as they carried out the band’s iconic dance moves. 

Jojo Robinson brought infectious enthusiasm to The Proclaimers I’m Gonna’ Be (500 Miles) encouraging audience participation through high fives and call-and-response delivery and this was followed by another Cyndi Lauper classic Girls Just Wanna Have Fun led by Annie Bridge featuring inventive wheelchair choreography weaving and crisscrossing the stage.

A move to hip hop featured Stephen Coote, complete with an inflatable ghetto blaster, with an enthusiastic performance of Technotronic’s Pump up the Jam accompanied by William’s impressive break-dancing skills.

Thomas Marron once again demonstrated why he has become such a standout performer. Dressed in Elton John’s trademark silver lame jacket, diamante glasses and straw boater, he delivered a confident and vocally impressive rendition of I’m Still Standing.  Thomas continues to grow both as a vocalist and a performer and he is always an absolute pleasure to watch.

A change of pace was provided by the exquisite dance skills of Hollie Morris as she performed a contemporary dance to Flash Dance … What a Feeling. Hollie is one of those rare performers who can transport you into her storytelling world with each expressive dance move. Hollie gave a beautiful emotional interpretation of the lyrics with exuberant high kicks and jumps culminating in a perfect final pose capturing the song’s essence. 

The nostalgia fest continued with a homage to Buck Fizz’s Eurovision winning Makin’ your Mind Up performed by the whole cast (including Lucy Baptist, James Southee, Sophie Chuck, Emma Taylor, Carter Ashmore, Selina Kettlewell and Beth) hand-jiving along to the lyrics, then a spirited performance of Depeche Mode’s Just Can’t Get Enough.

The concert concluded with the entire cast performing Journey’s timeless anthem Don’t Stop Believin’ a fitting finale which received a well-deserved standing ovation and rapturous round of applause from the audience.

Costumes, provided by the cast themselves, captured the vibrant spirit of the decade with colourful accessories, themed T-shirts and carefully chosen outfits reflecting each iconic performer. The addition of quirky accessories such as inflatable instruments added further authenticity.  Katie Kalo’s hair and make-up completed the whole 80s vibe. 

It has been a privilege to see the Stardust students develop and grow in both confidence and performance quality. This concert featured more live vocals than ever before, giving many more performers the opportunity to shine. The sheer delight on their faces as they performed in front of an audience was a joy to behold demonstrating why this company is so unique. 

Congratulations to the dedicated back-stage team whose hard work ensured the concert ran smoothly, and the on-stage helpers who supported the performers to shine. 

It was a delight to speak to Sara Sprague after the show and receive a lovely cuddle from Brianna. 

I look forward to seeing what Stardust has in store for next year’s pantomime.

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