There are plenty of classic stories from the 1980s, but standing above all of them is 1987 release, Dirty Dancing. With the record-breaking national tour making its Manchester stop this week, we couldn't resist checking out the show and seeing what this cast had to offer.
Set in the summer of 1963, audiences join an array of well-to-do characters at Kellerman's, with the Houseman family invited there by the Kellerman's owner himself. Family patriarch, Dr. Jake Houseman (Lynden Edwards), saved the owner's life, and so accepts the invitation along with his wife, Marjorie (Lori Haley Fox), daughter Lisa (Lizzie Ottley), and daddy's girl, Frances, aka Baby (Kira Malou). Though their life looks set to follow the 'usual' mould, this is a summer that changes Baby's life forever.
Malou is an absolute natural as the goofy, but always well-meaning Baby. She's instantly charming, and you believe from the off that when it comes to dancing, it's going to take a lot of work to make her anything close to as good as the brilliant Penny Johnson (Simone Covele).
Opposite her stars Michael O'Reilly, in his professional debut as Johnny Castle. It's a role that Patrick Swayze made famous, but O'Reilly does a great job of making it his own. He's one of the most rehearsed and impressive dancers to have graced the Palace Theatre's stage; choreographer Gillian Bruce has done brilliantly to ensure each of the stars shine with the content they've been given.
When it comes to the chemistry between the pair, it's fair to say it's pretty electric. Whether they're butting heads over Baby's lack of seriousness during her first dance lessons, or locking lips for the first time after falling for one another, you believe each action they take, and every word that comes from their mouths.
The audience also fell in love with Ottley, who played Baby's sister Lisa. Her performance of the Hula had everybody belly-laughing; she was somebody you couldn't help but root for.
Sets used are some of the most intricately designed I've had the pleasure of seeing, with transformations from one scene to the next allowing a perfect flow throughout the entire performance. There isn't a single moment when a part of the story drags; it's fantastic to see something work so fluidly, without the need for any trimming.
The big, goosebumps-inducing finale ensured that there wasn't a member of the audience not completely glued to Johnny and Baby's action-packed routine. It was flawless, from start to finish.
Writer Eleanor Bergstein and director Federico Bellone have done a brilliant job of transforming this classic movie into a fit-for-purpose, gorgeous stage production. If you're hungry for a hint of nostalgia and simpler times, then there's likely no show better to tick off those boxes.
Dirty Dancing runs at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Saturday, April 27.
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