Footloose the Musical

CODYS made a welcome return to the Brindley stage with their production of ‘Footloose the Musical’. Director Nick Cupit had a cast of CODYS members, as well as additional adults. The mix of ages is always great to see on stage. The set was good, with a gauze of a country road flown in for scenes, whilst the set was changed as we went from different locations, from the church to school to the diner. Each location was clearly defined. Some of the scene changes could have been slicker to ensure the pace was kept up. Some of them were also noisy as well, distracting from the action that was taking place. On the whole, the staging was good. There were a few confusing moments, such as the character of Rusty delivering the majority of ‘Let’s Hear it for the Boy’ upstage. The staging for ‘Somebody’s Eyes’ was very good, creating that sense of unease and the small town feeling. Costumes were good and suited each character well.

Danny Shaw, as Musical Director, had obviously worked hard with the cast. There were some lovely harmonies from the cast, and the ensemble numbers were great to listen to. Performing to backing tracks is hard to do, and the cast did extremely well with them.

The choreography from Natasha Bill impressed. There were lots of different styles on show, from a ballet sequence in ‘Almost Paradise’ to line dancing in ‘Still Rockin’’. The cast were secure in the choreography and delivered it well.

The technical elements used throughout were very good. On the whole, the sound balance was very good. There was the odd moment where mics were cued ever so late, but it did not impact the performances. The lighting design was very good, with great use of colours and movers during the ensemble numbers. Occasionally, performers weren’t lit fully when downstage left.

Ren McCormack needs to be played by an exceptional actor who is confident in acting, singing and dancing. Daniel Willson embodied all three areas and delivered a great performance. Daniel’s dancing impressed throughout, especially in ‘I Can’t Stand Still’.

Jess Ratcliffe impressed as Ariel Moore. Jess was able to show off different sides to Ariel’s character, from the rebellious teen to a vulnerable young woman. Her vocal was a joy to listen to, with ‘Holding out for a Hero’ being a highlight of the production. Well done, Jess!

Dan Grimes played Rev Shaw Moore. This was a great performance from Dan, playing the conflicted reverend. Dan had the gravitas needed as the small town reverend, and played the emotional moments well. The audience could really sense the turmoil that Shaw was going through due to Dan’s performance.

Katie Johnson delivered a strong performance as Vi Moore. Katie delivered some beautifully heartfelt numbers, especially ‘Can you Find it in your Heart?’. Great acting through song, and a very good performance.

Izzy Matthews was suitably funny as Rusty, providing many of the comedic moments during the show. The character is meant to speak fast, but don’t let this hinder your performance. The audience want to hear every word. Izzy delivered her numbers well.

Similarly to Izzy, Joe Bostock was funny as Willard Hewitt. He had a great accent, which was sustained throughout. ‘Mamma Says’ was a great number, led well by Joe. The added moments of forgetting the choreography in the ensemble numbers further added to Joe’s characterisation – very funny.

Sophia Wilkinson-Hill (Wendy Jo) and Lily Loftus (Urleen) worked well with Jess and Izzy. They both created different, believable characters and created a good quartet with Jess and Izzy. As mentioned before, ‘Holding out for a Hero’ was a particular highlight.

Harvey Farrell played the bad boy, Chuck Cranston. Harvey did well in this role, creating a character that the audience did not like. He then appeared in the ensemble as a completely different character, allowing Harvey to display his acting ability.

Matty Davies (Jeter/Garvin), Jacob Grimes (Bickle/Lyle) and Ollie Shaw (Travis) all did well in their supporting roles. They were engaged throughout. Matty Davies stood out with strong dancing ability.

The other adult cast members, Laura Cupit (Ethel McCormick), Danny Shaw (Wes Warnicker), Ed Parry (Coach Roger Dunbar), Jamie Pollard (Cowboy Bob/Cop), Rachel Sutton (Lulu Warnicker/Eleanor Dunbar) and Emily Woodward (Betty Blast/Principal/Cowgirl), all contributed well to the production, providing great support to the young cast. Jamie Pollard led ‘Still Rockin’’ well as Cowboy Bob – a great opener to Act Two. Emily Woodward provided plenty of laughs in her cameo roles.

The ensemble worked hard throughout, and executed the songs and choreography well. They were all focussed on the action throughout whenever they were on stage. Everybody on stage looked like they were enjoying every second.

Overall, this was a very good production. There were some excellent principal performances (especially from the youth), great choreography, and well-integrated technical elements.

Thank you to CODYS for your kind invite and hospitality. All the best for the future.

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