Dominion Theatre, London – until 16th April 2022
Reviewed by Emily Cliff
5*****
It is always hard to start a review when you have witnessed simply the best night of theatre in your small albeit extensive career as an arts journalist. I have been writing for theatre for a little over a year and I have never witnessed a show as electric, passionate and simply amazing as Dirty Dancing.
Taking all of the best bits of the film and translating them to stage is something that can be difficult to do, yet it was done with such individuality and pure charm that is not achieved lightly. This production was incredibly self-aware when it came to some scenes that weren’t as easy to translate from screen to stage. Yes, you know exactly which scene I am talking about; dreamy Patrick Swayze shirtless in a lake practising that infamous lift. One of the defining scenes of the film, included in the stage production incredibly cheesy and self-aware, making us more appreciative of stage magic than ever.
There wasn’t a bad cast member in this production. From the ensemble to the principal actors, everyone involved in this show gave 1000% at every turn. Now, we simply cannot talk about the cast without mentioning the incredible, Micheal O’Reilly (Johnny Castle) and Colin Charles (Tito Suarez). The two paint the town pink and make it drip head to toe with raw sex appeal. Making her West End debut, Kira Malou played the role of Baby Housman perfectly. From dancing to schoolgirl charm she played this role with everything you’d want to see in a coming of age play or film.
The chemistry between Johnny and Baby was simply magnetic. The pair go together incredibly well and that chemistry is noticeable in every dance they do together. The choreography of the show altogether was incredibly sexy, stylish and sleek capturing the essence of the whole film and stage show with encouraging cheers and reactions from those in the audience. Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for, the lift. It is one thing to see it done so flawlessly on a screen in a cinema or the comfort of your own living room, however, the difference as we know, between stage and screen is that on stage there are no retakes or reshoots: it’s perfect or nothing. The infamous lift onstage was enthralling and utterly beautiful. While O’Reilly and Malou made it look incredibly easy and flawless it must have taken weeks of training rehearsing to get it perfect, sitting here talking about it now my mind is still completely blown away by the stamina and strength of the dancers on stage.
From start to finish this show is something special and is definitely the place you want to go for a fun night out. From the soundtrack to the dancing to the beloved story on stage, listen to your Hungry Eyes and trust me you will have the time of your life.