This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour was invited to see Footloose by The Alexandra.
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre, Darren Day spoke about his role in the UK Tour of Footloose. Listen below:
By Becky Kroon twitter.com/BeckyKroon
Review: Footloose at The Alexandra
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Unapologetic fun
Directed by Racky Plews, music by Tom Snow, lyrics by Dean Pitchford adapted by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie
Last night, The Alexandra in Birmingham went back in time, throwing an 80s party to celebrate the arrival of the Footloose tour. And what an evening of unapologetic fun it was, with both cast and crew displaying an on-stage extravaganza of musical numbers of guilty pleasure tunes from the 80’s.
The cast of sixteen also included the orchestra, presenting the show as a hybrid gig with the cast integrating their instruments within the upbeat choreography. A special mention has to go to the saxophonist playing while roller-skating across the stage. This live music format also worked perfectly to show off any musical solos, with Joshua Hawkins (playing Ren Mccormack) enjoying a guitar solo or two.
The male/female choruses both had unique qualities to it, with the female chorus being particularly strong in their dance and vocals. Outstanding vocal performances go to Lucy Munden (Ariel) and Oonagh Cox (Rusty), who both showed incredible vocal range in their solo performances. Similarly, what was good about the male chorus was that they didn’t take themselves seriously. From the fake tattoo sleeves, the muscle flexes to the audience to their intellect being the runt of the jokes, the campy stereotypes of the show’s gender dynamics are done in the most entertaining way.
Jake Quickenden’s performance proves himself as a strong comedy actor, which came with a hint of self-awareness on his career in reality television. He shone through his physicality during Holding Out For a Hero. Without spoiling the surprise entirely, he has his own Rocky from The Rocky Horror Picture Show moment.
The costumes themselves are a colourful spectacle, clad with fluorescent Rara Skirts, scrunchies and a lot of double denim. A costume highlight would be the start of Act Two, which presented an eclectic display of cowboy costumes, with colourful boosts, hats and frayed jacket all accompanying the vibrancy of the show.
Footloose is an evening filled with cliché but feel-good moments designed to keep a smile on the face, and it succeeds.
Footloose is at The Alexandra until 23rd April 2022, so make sure to catch it if you fancy a high-quality giggle. The UK Tour currently continues until Saturday 20th August see the tour dates here: footloose-musical.com
