Disco Inferno

Disco Inferno is a juke box musical and, as the name suggests, is a fast moving production full of music for the 70's which everyone knows.  The word ‘disco’, for me, conjures up images of loud music and flashing lights. There was all of that, but this all added to the vibrancy of the show containing numbers such as I Will Survive, Kissing in the Back Row, YMCA (in the Village People Medley) and Crocodile Rock to name but a few and all with an first-rate five-piece band under the control of MD Mark A J Checkley and great choreography which took us right back to the era. 

The staging was a two-level steel structure which worked well and was used to its fullest extent throughout. The lighting was appropriate for the disco scenes although lighting the highest section of the set stage left appeared to be a problem as the lighting was dimmer there than on the right. Otherwise everything was very good.   A lot of trouble had been taken to get things right with the costuming which was very colourful and absolutely in period.  I am sure the costume team worked their socks off backstage with the myriad of costume changes.

The story, set in the 1970s, is of bartender Jack who has aspirations to become a pop star and to achieve his ambition he sells his soul to the devil’s assistant Lady Marmalade.

Adam Hebbard played Jack leading from the front with a super performance.  He was well supported by Chelsea Booth as Jack’s long suffering girlfriend Jane.  Chelsea’s rendering of I Will Survive blew us away.  They both acted, danced and sang well, providing us with a good partnership, especially in You to Me Are Everything.

An excellent performance from Jack Barry as Tom, Jack’s best friend, who sang well and has a fine feel for delivering well-timed comic one-liners.  A good performance too by Megan Bidecant as Tom’s long-time girlfriend Maggie: another performer blessed with a good voice. This pair too worked well together.

Ben Caller played Duke, owner of the nightclub “Disco Inferno”. He was just right for this commanding role and later in the show, when he was reincarnated temporarily as the Devil. A super performance. 

Jack Wright took the role of Heathcliffe, initially the star singer at the Disco night club but in reality, an egotistical and violent character doomed to failure along with his girl Kathy, played by Mel Abraham. We enjoyed some fine singing and acting from this pair.

Becky Green, who has great stage presence and pretty good vocal cords too, played Lady Marmalade, the Devil’s femme fatale.  

I very much enjoyed the performance of Hannah Ridley as Nicky Diablo. 

Jack Byng  probably had the most difficult role (and the largest wig) as Terry the club DJ.  He was on the go all the time and had to keep the concentration going to get his few lines of dialogue in at the right time. 

Lending good support throughout was Erin Malkin as Lily and Charlie East, Jorja Double, Chloe Baldock and Jess Gillett were kept busy as dancers and members of the Ensemble.

Director Karen Booth, Musical Director Mark A J Checkley, Choreographers Nikki Scott and Becky Green and the Company did an excellent job presenting a fast moving and lively production of this very enjoyable show.  

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