Peacock Theatre, London – until 26 March 2022
Reviewed by Debra Stottor
3***
Welcome to a Bee Gees karaoke night, with tightly choreographed, slickly performed routines. If you’ve seen the movie, danced to the tunes and are looking for a show that will entertain more than challenge, this is a good choice.
Richard Winsor as Tony Manero pulls off the Travolta moves, all fluid hips and fancy footwork. It’s impeccable, but somehow doesn’t ring true – this wasn’t the style of a New York kid from the wrong side of the tracks, rather that of a professionally trained dancer – and there’s not enough variation in the choreography as a whole. But Winsor makes good eye candy – the scene where he dons the famous white suit draws plenty of woops from the (largely female) audience. Hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it.
The story is faithful to the original film, including the Seventies misogyny that is integral to the plot – from Tony and his friends’ attitude to women to his parents’ dysfunctional relationship. The performance goes down well with the crowd – not quite dancing in the aisles, but certainly on their feet and clapping along at the end. It’s an uplifting finale, despite the grit and tragedy of how the story unfolds.
The faux ‘Bee Gees’ are on stage pretty much throughout, providing a live soundtrack – head to toe in shiny suits, with beards and wigs to complete the look. It feels more pastiche than homage, though I’m sure that’s not the desired effect. It would take an absolutely exceptional set of voices to really do justice to the original songs – sadly, though good, these were not those exceptional voices. And while Bobby C (Kevin O’Dwyer), Stephanie (Olivia Fines) and Annette (Jasmin Colangelo) all get to sing solos, Tony doesn’t. It’s a shame – it’s a piece screaming out for the lead role to do a big vocal number. This is produced and directed by Bill Kenwright, so seasoned theatre-goers will know what to expect. But there’s something soulless about this show – it will undoubtedly be a hit but I’m not 100% convinced it deserves to be. If you love the music and enjoy a musical, this will certainly tick the boxes, but you’re unlikely to be entirely wowed by this. It’s the latest in a long line of bringing successful movies to the stage as musicals – this has the advantage of a great original soundtrack, but that is its greatest redeeming feature. Is the winning formula beginning to fade?