Footloose (New Wolsey Theatre)

"Connor Going as Chuck Cranston exudes energy, staying in character when on keyboards."

Edinburgh Music Review, Mary-Ann Connolly

The whole cast are so talented: singing, acting, dancing and playing instruments; the show is a whirlwind of joy.

Suffolk Theatre, Georgy Jamieson
 

Footloose The Musical Review: A 1980s Nostalgia Trip at The New Wolsey Theatre

I was transported back to the 1980s on Monday evening for Footloose The Musical at the New Wolsey Theatre and all at once I was 14 again.

Footloose the film, starring Kevin Bacon, was a huge hit at the box office and I remember as a teenager going to see it, (in a double bill – explain those to teenagers now – with Saturday Night Fever 2). The film spawned some big hits singles in the charts at the time and they are all here along with some new songs written for the show.

The story revolves around Ren – played with tremendous energy and charm by Luke Wilson – and his mother Ethel – played with spirit and determination by Nina Kristofferson. They have moved from Chicago to start a new life in the little town of Beaumont, where life is very different and dancing is banned. Ren finds it hard to accept this blanket ban on fun for the young people and sets about trying to organise a school dance. 

The town is suspicious of newcomers and Ren finds himself in trouble everywhere he goes, especially with the puritanical Rev Shaw Moore, played by Robin Simpson with steely gravitas but enough sensitivity that as an audience we realise underneath he is not just the stubborn disciplination he appears to be but a father and husband in great emotional pain. 

The Reverend’s daughter, Ariel, is a flame haired powerhouse and Kirsty Findlay does her justice emotionally and vocally. She longs to get away from Beaumont and in Ren she sees new ideas and a way to escape. 

Soon Ariel’s friends Rusty, another vocal powerhouse and great comic timing from Elizabeth Rowe, and Willard, a great favourite with audience and another wonderful comic character by Luke Thorton, decide they are in and want to help change the no dancing law in Beaumont too. But they’re not helped by the baddie of the piece, Ariel’s on/off boyfriend Chuck Cranston played with menace by Connor Going.

In fact the undercurrent of women being put in their place is there in the story and reminded me how far we’ve come since the 1980s. The number Learning To be Silent was a highlight for me and really hit home, it was sung beautifully by Ethel, Ariel and the Reverend’s wife Vi Moore, played with quiet resolve and determination by Wendy Paver. 

The whole cast are so talented: singing, acting, dancing and playing instruments; the show is a whirlwind of joy. It’s a love story yes, but also one about discovery, grief, compromise and acceptance and is much deeper than you first think it will be.

Congratulations to director Doug Rintoul on another fantastic New Wolsey production – you’ll come out singing, toe tapping and longing to dance.

Suffolk Theatre, Georgy Jamieson