Bristol Hippodrome – until 6th October 2018
Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock
3***
Bee-gee whiz! Saturday Night Fever, adapted by Bill Kenwright, had all the elements of the 1978 film…including the iconic white suit.
The story follows that of Tony Manero, portrayed by Richard Windsor, a young Brooklyn man who is discontent with his current job and living arrangements with his family. He aspires to take his passion for dance further and we follow his quest to do so. Windsor was exceptional on the dance floor, showing the audience moves that had only been seen by Travolta in the original. Windsor did an outstanding job on the stage, leaving for split seconds between scene changes showing the audience his stamina and incredible ability to maintain the upbeat and fast pace of the show.
Manero, whilst practising for the newest dance competition, partners up with Stephanie Mangano portrayed by Kate Parr. Eventually, the couple embark on the classic ‘will they won’t they’ love story leaving the audience waiting for that kiss on the dance floor. Parr, along with her impressive and solid dancing, also had a very nice singing voice. She was one of the few cast members who sung and she treated us to ‘What kind of fool’, leaving the audience wanting more.
All of the cast were brilliant, but the stand out performances were that of The Bee Gees. Edward Handoll, Alistair Hill and Matt Faull were incredible. The casting was outstanding with these three. Their voices blended together perfectly and this truly was the closest to seeing the real deal you will ever get. This trio carried the show and together with the striking dancing made this show a success. There were some points where I forgot I was watching what is essentially a tribute to these great musicians and I was totally immersed in the soaring vocals that delighted the theatre.
The first act of this show fell a little flat and the acting left a lot to be desired, but the second act and fabulous finale picked up the show. There were some really amazing points in this show, but one thing that put a dampener on the fabulous dancing, was the lack of expression shown by Windsor as he took the stage alone. His focus and ability are nothing to be questioned, but he lacked a smile or any hint of enjoyment whilst showing the audience his aptitude. Hopefully, this was just a case of ‘first night in a new venue’ nerves but it still left me wanting some form of engagement with the audience.
Overall, this show was a decent tribute to the original film that thrust Travolta into the public eye, but felt a little unpolished in some areas. The lighting was true to the time, with a garish rainbow of colour that lit up both the stage and the audience’s imaginations. There was a fair amount of swearing in the first act which didn’t add much to the progression of the story line, but this was quickly forgotten when the audience got ‘Night Fever’.