[AD – PR invite*]
★★★½
This October the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich is taking a step back in time to the 1980s with ‘Footloose The Musical’: the theatrical adaptation of the hit film about a fictional town in the USA which banned dancing. This year the movie celebrates its 40th anniversary and this co-production with the Pitlochry Festival Theatre sees a cast of actor-musicians take on the popular musical. Featuring songs from the source material alongside a score by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford, this version of ‘Footloose’ made me view the story in a whole new light, years after disregarding it for its book.
About the show
What some people won’t know is that the film and musical are loosely based on the town of Elmore City in Oklahoma and a local law that prohibited dancing from the 1890s onwards. The narrative for the musical stays true to the original film, focusing on Ren McCormack (Luke Wilson) and his mother’s (Nina Kristofferson) arrival in the sheltered community of Bomont. Ren is an outsider and the residents don’t trust him, but as the character starts to understand the rural way of living, barriers begin to break down. Themes of grief, growing up and supporting your peers take centre stage, bookended by Kenny Loggins’ incredible title track that has been adored for decades.
Set design and scene transitions
The New Wolsey is an intimate performance space that seats 400 people and Adrian Rees’ set design compliments this, inviting audiences into the community spaces of Bomont. From the mountainous backdrop to the school and church inspired set pieces, the small town America locations are really believable. There are a couple of places where the set pieces appear a little backwards, with the sign positioning and the way that the actors enter and exit the stage, but this is largely unnoticeable given the fact that the performers capture the majority of your attention. What is commendable however is the imaginative scene transitions. Utilising musical interludes, sound and lighting effects during the changing of locations, it is a joy to see such effort taken to the overall performance structure.
Ultra-talented actor musicians
The actor-musicians are simply breathtaking to watch, taking the music to new heights. They each alternate between instruments, taking turns to share their character’s personal story and be a pivotal part of the on-stage rock and roll band. Musical highlights include Willard’s (Luke Thornton) comical ‘Mama Says (You Can’t Back Down)’, complete with a barber shop quartet-inspired sequence and the very romantic ‘Almost Paradise’ which is softly interpreted by Ren and the preacher’s daughter Ariel (Kirsty Findlay) on an elegant raised platform.
Choreography and dance steps
In my opinion, the area that doesn’t quite work is the choreography. For a show that focuses on the theme of dancing, it feels as if the movement has been slightly overlooked in favour of the dialogue and musical performances. There is plenty of opportunity for a really exciting finale once it is revealed that the townsfolk can dance again, but the ending falls slightly short without a big number. That being said, Luke Thornton is amazing as Willard in ‘Let’s Hear It For The Boy’ and the intentionally awkward dance moves are brilliantly timed and choreographed. The combination of movement and comedy makes this scene a really amusing watch.
An energetic interpretation of the source material
‘Footloose’ is by no means my favourite musical, but I thoroughly enjoyed this version of the production. It is a brilliant idea to reimagine the work as an actor-musician piece, bringing a whole new perspective to the songs. You can catch the 80s-themed production at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich until Saturday 26th October, with tickets available via the venue’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘Footloose’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
Comments