Footloose started life as a 1984 film musical, starring Kevin Bacon. Reviews were mixed, but it went on to gross over 80 million dollars. It is yet another tale of a stranger coming to a sleepy backwoods town and shaking things up. In this particular instance the stranger is a young lad called Ren whose father has recently run off, forcing him and his mother to move to Bomont, a remote spot in West Virginia. Ren discovers that Bomont’s powerful church minister has banned dancing, as some years previously four of the town’s youngsters had died in a car crash on their way home from a dance. Booze and drugs may or may not have been to blame. The relatively low-key plot is entirely concerned with whether or not Ren will succeed in persuading the good townsfolk of Bomont to allow the high school kids to hold a dance.
Most of the characterization is very broad-brush in style, exemplified by Gareth Gates’ portrayal of Willard, a tongue-tied hick who can barely walk and chew gum at the same time let alone chat up Rusty, a local beauty who has taken a shine to him. Gates gets laughs, but it’s hard to see what Rusty finds attractive about this gurning oaf. Rather more believably, Ren begins to succumb to the charms of Ariel, the minister’s daughter. It’s all corny, predictable stuff, and in the first half I found it somewhat less than gripping. The multi-talented cast all play the music live on stage – a genuinely impressive feature of the show, but one which does little to dispel the unreality of it all. In a town where dancing is illegal, is it likely that everyone would go about their business clutching a saxophone or guitar? Tom Snow’s music and Dean Pitchford’s lyrics are not without charm, but with the exception of Footloose itself and Let’s Hear It For The Boy, few of their songs are memorable enough to send you from the theatre humming the tunes. However, the addition of Bonnie Tyler classic, Holding Out For A Hero injects a welcome dose of musical oomph.
By the interval I was feeling a touch underwhelmed, but the second half did much to win me over. Director Racky Plews give a little more space for character development, and as the final showdown between the kids and the local council approaches, some welcome complexities emerge. This applies particularly to Luke Baker’s portrayal of Ren, and to Nigel Lister’s portrayal of the Reverend Shaw Moore. When rebellious Ren finally comes face-to-face with the stern church minister to plead for the right to dance we see the most nuanced performances in a show where nuance has generally been in short supply. Ren is mourning the loss of his father, and comes to recognize that the Reverend is also struggling with suppressed grief over the loss of his son. Having discovered that they have much in common they are able to resolve their differences, and matters conclude happily with a foot-stomping finale.
Luke Baker is the undoubted star of the show, not least for his furiously energetic and often spectacularly gymnastic dancing. Lauren Storer, standing in last night for Maureen Nolan, brings an attractive warmth and gentleness to the role of the minister’s wife, torn between loyalty to her husband and love for her wayward daughter. Gareth Gates shows a real flair for comedy, and Hannah Price is a strong-voiced and attractive Ariel. This production is blessed with a very talented cast of actor-musicians, and all-in-all Footloose is good, unpretentious, summer holiday fun. ★★★★☆ Mike Whitton 2nd August 2016
