Darlington Hippodrome – until 4th November 2023
Review by Stee Leahy
5*****
What a blast, I couldn’t sit still.
‘Footloose’ at the Darlington Hippodrome was nothing short of a toe-tapping treat.
Set in Chicago, the musical follows the ever evolving story of the new kid in town, ‘Ren McCormack’ – played respectively by the talented Ben Connor and his struggle to legalise dancing. Ben’s Ren was a charming and relatable young man with fun comical interludes woven throughout his performance. You really couldn’t take your eyes off of him, the perfect choice to lead this show.
Playing opposite Ben was Rachel Geddes as the preachers daughter – ‘Ariel Moore’. Rachel’s vocals were outstanding, her rendition of ‘Holding out for a Hero’ had everyone singing and tapping their feet along. If we were allowed to dance, I’m sure we would have!
Connor and Geddes complimented one another well and their chemistry on stage was electric.
‘Willard Hewitt’, Ren’s best friend was played by Joe Connor. Joe really shone in his musical number ‘Mama Says’, though not an instantly recognisable tune to those unfamiliar with the musical, it had everyone captivated and his vocals were a real treat. It was a lot of fun! Willard’s love interest and Ariel’s best friend, ‘Rusty’ was played by Abbie Hand. Abbie perfectly captured the adorable charm of Rusty and made it all her own. Her vocals matched the rest of her performance and her rendition of ‘Let’s hear it for the Boy’ was so much fun, it was excellent!
The rest of the girl gang was rounded off with Lucy Adams, Lucy Ivison and Grace Mansfield as their respective characters – ‘Wendy-Jo, Urleen and Bonnie’ adding comic timing, charm and incredible supporting vocals. With the addition of Julian Cound as ‘Rev. Shaw Moore’ the show gained a real powerhouse. Cound is such a captivating performer and someone who only ever enhances any show he is a part of. Samantha Morrison took the role of the Reverend’s wife – ‘Vi’ and she complimented him incredibly well. Her sweet nature was really apparent and you could hear a pin drop during the pairs more intense scenes.
The ensemble company of the ‘D.O.S’ team are a real sensation, as close to a professional working company as you can get. A true asset to the Hippodrome theatre.
I applaud the creative team behind this production. From the dynamic choreography to tender and explosive direction by Joanne Hand. It was all top-notch entertainment. All in all I was blown away by all involved. I would encourage anyone to support and experience this company’s rendition of this musical classic.
Simply superb!