Skip to main content

Review of Footloose (N.M.T.C.) at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

I have to confess that apart from hearing Kenny Loggins' monstrously catchy title tune many times, both the original 1984 film and this 1998 stage adaptation of Footloose have passed me by. Therefore, finally, I get to tick it off the list thanks to this production from the Northampton Musical Theatre Company on stage at Royal & Derngate. So, was it worth the wait?

Footloose tells the story of Ren McCormack and his mother, Ethel's move to the town of Bomot, Utah with his aunt and uncle following the walking out of Ren's father from the family home. What the confident and rebellious Ren finds within the boundary of Bomot and its illegal dance stance puts him on a path of conflict with the local Reverend Shaw Moore.

In many ways the story of Ren and his attitude sits with the delightful selection of Footloose for the N.M.T.C. It is not an obvious fit for the group, leaving fewer roles for the old guard and a movement towards the "next generation" of the group. While it is sad not to see many familiar faces on the stage, what shows though is the obvious future strength for the group.

Leading the "rebellion" is Ell Barnes-Ward as leading man Ren, and after what appears some initial nerves on opening night, his confidence builds throughout the first act and by the superb final act number I'm Free, he is very much the leading man. Within the story, Ren develops a close friendship with the Reverend's daughter Ariel Moore and in that role, Jemma Adams is a delight. Their chemistry works and Adams' strong vocals power through numbers such as Holding Out for a Hero (also an excellent comically staged number) and Almost Paradise, a delightful duet with Barnes-Ward.

Elsewhere the always excellent Luke White is clearly having fun as local redneck Willard Hewitt, who Ren befriends. His characterisation is as ever top-notch and presents the brilliant comic number Mama Says with high humour. Further strong support comes from the trio of Ella Styles as Rusty Rodriguez, who has some brilliant moments with White, Katie Proctor as Wendy-Jo and Zoe Mould as Urleen. This trio forms often a sort of singing Greek Chorus with the haunting, and quite brilliant repeating song Somebody's Eyes.

Finally, but far from least, in the cast, and those strongly representing the previous NMTC, are the excellent pairing of Brett Hanson as Reverend Shaw Moore and Hannah Taylor as his wife Vi Moore. Hanson here is as strong as I have seen him, particularly in his characterisation of the troubled Moore. Struggling to deal with what he wants to do to honour the town's losses, against the growing realisation that perhaps that very thing is harming his community. There is some excellent, powerful drama in his scenes. Not least those with Taylor, who is the more balanced and accepting of the relationship as she battles herself but tries to accommodate the wishes of the young members of the town more so than her husband.

Production-wise, it is much the usual strong affair from Martyn Knight's confident directing to the excellent music from Rod Illiffe and his musicians. Technically there were a few issues, particularly with late microphones on the opening night, but, it is likely these will become fewer as the week goes on. Set changes as always are slick, with only a few moments of darkness for big changes, which Illiffe and the musicians easily cover.

Footloose is a slow burner initially in the first act, with a somewhat unexpected stilted opening performance of the title track and a time getting into the story. However, after not very long, you are gripped by the story and performances. Thanks to these strong performances, this goes beyond the expected popcorn musical based on an eighties film with genuine emotional drama to be found between the music numbers, and some truly excellent songs beyond the familiar ones. Get your feet loose and head off to the Royal & Derngate while you can.

An unexpected and delightful surprise of a show. Make sure your eyes are watching.
⭐⭐⭐⭐


Performance reviewed: Tuesday 29th October 2024 at the Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton.

Footloose runs at Royal & Derngate until Saturday 2nd November 2024. For information about the NMTC see their website at https://northamptonmusicaltheatrecompany.co.uk/

For further details about the Royal & Derngate see their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Photos: Oscar Myles of My10productions



Popular posts from this blog

Review of Breaking the Code at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Breaking The Code , the opening play in the new Made in Northampton season at Royal & Derngate, is a surprisingly old and rarely seen play. Written in 1986 by Hugh Whitemore, it tells the story of legendary codebreaker Alan Turing, a man who, in the 1980s, when this play first appeared, was relatively unknown. The years since the origin of this play have been good for Turing, with his life's work finally getting the recognition it deserves, and also, very much what this play centres on, a recognition of the horrific life and end that Turing had as a result of dealing with the laws of the day. Breaking the Code has seen life before on the stage of the Royal, as back in 2003, Philip Franks took to the role of Turing in a very well-received production. So, what of this brand new version directed by the Royal & Derngate's artistic director Jesse Jones? Does it live up to Turing's legend? That is an unquestionable yes with no machines needed to crack the class behind thi...

Review of Rambert Dance in Peaky Blinders - The Redemption of Thomas Shelby at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

The Rambert Dance Company is the oldest such company in Britain having first performed in 1926. However, despite this, this was my first encounter with the group in my ten years of theatre-going. Coupled with this, it was also my first encounter with Peaky Blinders , having never seen the show, and only knowing a few vague things about it. My companion for the evening however was very familiar with the show, allowing some background behind the show. It turns out though,  Rambert Dance in Peaky Blinders - The Redemption of Thomas Shelby needs a little more than a good bit of knowledge of the show, as despite this production having incredible style, there struggles to be a cohesive structure to the show and the storytelling. Much more than other dance shows as well. The first act does a whistle-stop tour of the first five seasons and while it is a feast on the eye, and on the ear, it gets extremely confusing at times. The second act is freestyle and drifts away from the stories tol...

Review of National Theatre Connections 2017 (16 Shows) at Royal & Derngate (Royal & Underground), Northampton

Alongside the University of Northampton BA Actors Flash Festival, the Connections festival at Royal & Derngate is now my joint favourite week of theatre each year. This is my fourth year at the festival and each time I have tried my very best (and succeeded) in seeing more and more of those on offer (four in 2014, ten in 2015 and twelve last year). This year I cracked sixteen shows, including the most interesting, a chance to see two of the plays by three different groups. I was able to see nine of this year's ten plays (a single nagging one, Musical Differences by Robin French was missing from the R&D line-up), and most I either enjoyed or finally understood their merits or reasons for inclusion. The writing of sixteen reviews is a little bit of an daunting prospect, however, I will do my best to review each of the plays and those I saw more than once, and pick around the comparisons. Extremism by Anders Lustgarten Performed by Bedford College Extremism was perfo...