Dust off those dancing shoes…
“Saturday Night Fever” danced its way to Manchester Palace Theatre at the end of September hoping to stun audiences with its dazzling dance moves and iconic soundtrack.
If you’re a fan of the 1977 film starring John Travolta, you’ll definitely love this stage version as they are almost identical in many ways. For those who may not remember the film or haven’t seen it before, “Saturday Night Fever” follows Tony Manero (Travolta) as he spends his weekends trying to escape the harsh realities of life by dancing the night away at the disco. Tony hopes to not only win an upcoming dance competition but also the heart of his dance partner Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney) along the way, even when everything else in his life seems bleak.
While of course, it’s nice to remain close to the source material, “Saturday Night Fever” on stage can often feel like an exact replica of its big-screen predecessor. There’s no doubt that the dancing is the highlight of the show – definitely a spectacle showing off all your favourite 70’s moves. Unfortunately, this can overshadow other scenes and make audiences feel like they are just waiting for the next song and dance number to come along.
The show is different to many stage musicals in that the majority of the actors don’t sing the main crux of the music, and instead, the Bee Gees – played by AJ Jenks, Oliver Thomson and Drew Ferry – stand on a balcony at the top of the stage singing, watching over the others as they dance to their songs. These three are sensational in providing the soundtrack, not only looking strikingly similar to the original members but sounding just like them too.
Those who often watch musicals at the theatre may at first be caught off-guard to not hear the main characters sing much but you quickly become used to it. This doesn’t mean that the rest of the cast doesn’t sing at all – of course, the ensemble provides backing vocals to everything and a couple of the main cast even get their own songs in the latter half of the show.
Jack Wilcox plays Tony Manero and lives up to Travolta in many ways. He pulls off the suave, charming persona with ease and while he may come across a tad sleazy at points, this is a character trait Manero would no doubt have.
One stand out is Faizal Jaye as DJ Monty. Although he often stays secluded in his little DJ booth in the top corner, he is hard to miss during the group dance numbers as he joins in and shows off his moves to the max. Another stand-out would be Harry Goodson-Bevan as Bobbie C. He seems the most innocent out of his group of friends and is always trying to impress Tony and stay close to him and is in need of advice when he accidentally gets his girlfriend pregnant but doesn’t want to marry her. Goodson-Bevan is the emotional centre of the show and this is further shown by his impactful performance of ‘Tragedy’.
Overall, “Saturday Night Fever” is a great night out for a bit of a boogie and to listen to all your favourite Bee Gees songs. The finale megamix is a major feel-good moment and will make you leave the theatre feeling overjoyed.
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