Stepping Out - the Musical

‘Feel good’ shows are in high demand at the moment – not that they ever go out of style but in times of uncertainty and universal anger around the world, their equity rises dramatically with theatregoers.

And Stepping Out – The Musical certainly fits the bill, as does its sister play of the same name, both written by Richard Harris. As performed in May by Haslingfield Little Theatre, the musical features music by Denis King and lyrics by Mary Stewart-David.

It’s the story of a village tap dance class, led by the sparky Mavis (Laura Wylie), which turns into a channel for many of the hapless tap dancers to find themselves and ta da! become proficient tappers by show’s end. Very ‘feel good’. 

Directed by Judith Willows, HLT’s production boasted a well-designed, well-executed and well-dressed main set of a village hall with the drab green walls, notice boards, and clever touches: an emergency exit marked appropriately with a push bar for people to exit through, signs to the toilets, a window to the kitchen with two shuttered doors, a shelf featuring all the bits and bobs one might need in a village hall along with a framed photo of Her Majesty the Queen, and a hinged double exit door. (The notice boards were duplicated in the lobby, for a nice echo, announcing Mavis’s tap dancing classes and so forth.) For a scene in a wine bar, the lighting took centre stage instead of a set, with only a table and a couple of stools as furnishings, to create the necessary ambiance.

Because Stepping Out – The Musical really is much more about the characters than the actual musicality and dancing, fine dramatic performances are a requirement. To mention a few: a twinkly-eyed Janice Chambers was a sassy and loveable Sylvia, the tap dance student with a heart of gold who is prone to naughty jokes and regular trips to the wine bar; Hilary Stokes was a suitably curmudgeonly Mrs Fraser, the piano player (why are all accompanists in film and theatre curmudgeonly?); and Fiona Haskell delivered a multi-faceted performance as Vera, annoying, proud and pitiful, the tap student with a sad secret or two. 

Providing able support were Wylie as Mavis the instructor; Terry Baker as Dorothy; Katy Chapman as the morose Andy; Jacqui Gruby as Rose; Natalie Gillies as Maxine; and, as the lone male in the class, Phil Chapman. 

There was no musical director credited, but Tom Hatfield’s piano work led a robust band that fuelled the musical numbers. Less robust were most of the vocal musical performances, which generally lacked confidence and volume. 

The show builds up to a last scene climax scripted as occurring a year after the tap dance class makes its public debut and reveals the tappers we’ve come to know and love – plus a few others -- as now skilled in their art form. Like the number “One” at the end of A Chorus Line, this finale is a brilliant success with tap dancing under the belts of these mature students and possibly their lives sorted as well. 

How could you not leave wanting to do a few tentative dance steps yourself?

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