Saturday Night Fever
Sean Mulligan, Shaun Williamson, Jayde Westaby, Rebecca Dent,
Stephen Webb
Director / Choreographer: Arlene Phillips
Musical Director: Pete Hagen
Monday 17th October, 2005
The Empire Theatre, Liverpool.
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SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
The 70's: a decade of frightening hair,
clothes and politics. A decade of upheaval and turmoil, built on the
fragile remnants of and age of Peace & Love that promised so much
but brought so little. Oh nostalgia, what can beat it?
Saturday Night Fever was a phenomenally
successful movie and an even bigger album penned and performed by the
Bee Gees. It was estimated that 1 in every 3 households owned a copy
at the time of its release and secured its place in the Guinness Book
Of Records as the biggest selling movie soundtrack of all time as a
result.
The stage version, then, has a lot to
live up to and, for the most part, succeeds.
Set in New York, Tony Manero (Mulligan) is a frustrated teenager stuck
in the slums of the City, in a dead-end job and the brunt of constant
criticism from his parents. He is the black sheep that never feels the
warmth of the sun saved for his elder brother, Father Frank Jr., a priest
and "bad boy made good."
Tony has three passions: disco, dating
and dressing up to achieve success in both of the former categories.
When he meets the fabulously talented Stephanie (Westaby) at Odyssey,
the neighbourhood Disco run by the fabulous Monty (Williamson), Tony
realises the upcoming competition to be held at the club is there for
the taking and nothing is going to get in his way.
The music, as can be expected, is timeless
and all of the hits are here: Stayin' Alive kicks the show off,
with a little homage to the movie, with Tony walking along the street,
whilst the signs that he walks beneath interchange to give the sense
of movement that starts the movie, whereas Night Fever is sung
as Tony gets ready to go out on a Saturday night, much to the delight
of the audience.
To be fair, the first half of the show
is a replay of the album and the story, such as it is anyway - a rework
of West Side Story to all intents and purposes - fails to instil
little more than a tribute vehicle to carry the songs.
The most notable aspects, however, are
the dance routines that are executed with faultless brilliance and athleticism.
Disco Inferno alone is a sight to behold, as is the energy that
is used during Boogie Shoes. Throughout the show, the stage is
mass of excitement and energy that only wanes as the music slips into
ballad tempo.
When the second half begins, the story comes into its own. Now we are
told in more detail the darker side of life missing from the first section.
Bobby C (Webb) who is desperate to fit
in with Tony's gang, is mentally bullied throughout and Webb's version
of Tragedy is incredibly powerful and is, along with Rebecca
Dent's version of If I Can't Have You, amongst the major highlights
of the show. Here are two people that need to have an eye kept on them;
clear, strong and emotional, these are stars of the future.
The lighting is exceptional, the singing
from the cast is clear and evocative and Shaun "Barry From Eastenders"
Williamson as DJ Monty, is hilarious in his tight lyrcra shorts, curly
wigs and spangly suits.
Overall, this is a great show that is
good fun, if a little too reliant on churning out the hits before settling
on telling a timeless tale of unfulfilled ambitions.
4/5
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break the rules as I see fit.” - Chris High 2003.