Footloose

Footloose is a 1998 musical based on the 1984 film of the same name.  It centres around Ren McCormack, a teenager who moves with his mum from Chicago to a small town after being abandoned by his father. After discovering that dancing has been banned following a tragic accident, he convinces the Reverend to let the teenagers dance, and in the process helps the town to heal from the tragedy that affected them all. This production included young people as young as 8 up to 18 and their enthusiasm and commitment really brought the production to life.

The principal casting was particularly strong.  The role of Ren McCormack was performed with considerable confidence and energy, combining great vocals and acting throughout. He also had excellent stage presence and danced well. Ariel, the Reverend’s rebellious daughter was a strong singer whose performance of the classic 1980’s Bonnie Tyler hit ‘Holding out for a hero’, was one of the show’s musical highlights.  She also moved well and was a fine actress. 

Rusty, Urleen and Wendy Jo provided some fabulous harmonies and worked well together as this sassy trio. Very well done. Willard Hewitt had great characterisation as a slightly awkward teen. A highlight for me was his number in Act 2 ‘Mama Says (You Can’t Back Down)’. He also proved to be a very good mover.

Reverend Shaw Moore gave a very considered portrayal as the angst-ridden father. He was able to show real gravitas in what is a very difficult role for a young person. Ren’s mother, Ethel, also handled the role of a much older person well and bad boy Chuck and his gang were suitably menacing and good actors. 

The ensemble always brought great energy and enthusiasm to their scenes. They really looked like they were enjoying themselves and this infectious fun made the performance all the more memorable. I really enjoyed the line dancing and the 80’s vibe to the moves, that matched the songs beautifully.

The set worked well with good depictions of the Burger Blast diner, the gym, the church and the Moore home.  I would have preferred to have seen some of the set changes done by the cast as they began a scene, rather than having a gap whilst the stage crew changed the set. The stage crew were very efficient but it is a shame to stop the flow of the scenes.

The lighting was excellent, especially for the opening sequence when the bright lights put the dancers in silhouette. Costumes and makeup were also very good.

There were unfortunately some issues with the sound on opening night, which meant some of the dialogue could not be heard due to slow pickups with the mics, but hopefully this improved in later performances.    

The Footloose Finale and Footloose Megamix were very enjoyable and had the audience clapping along. The all singing, all dancing cast did a fabulous job and kept up their energetic performance right to the very end. As usual for this group, this was a well-directed production that was great fun for both the cast and the audience. 

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