Footloose

Published Tuesday 28 August 2007 at 13:45 by Paul Vale

Young Ren McCormack works through the frustrations of daily life on the dance floors of the Chicago club scene. When his parents separate and he moves with his mother to small town of Bomont, dance has been banned by the town council and it is up to Ren to make them change their narrow minds. Although loosely based on a true story, the whole premise is a completely ludicrous piece of fun that actually works rather well, fitting in nicely with the recent trend for over-zealous dance-based shows with a popular music soundtrack. Despite the promise of a high-octane evening throughout, there are, in fact, some rather tender moments of light and shade that balance the story and allow the actors to flex their dramatic muscles rather than just their physical ones.

Unfortunately Tommy Sherlock is sadly lacking in charisma, although physically suited to the role of the angsty Ren. His love interest, played by Miria Parvin, fairs a little better, although their moments on stage remain satisfactory rather than electrifying. It is the secondary roles here that make the real impact, with Gemma O’Duffy raising the roof with the hearty set piece, Holding Out For a Hero and the simply charming Let’s Hear It For the Boy. The object of her character’s affection, the slow-witted Willard, is played to great effect by Giovanni Spano. His performance provides much of the comedy in the show and his remarkable transformation from bumbling hick to hot-footed hoofer is as joyous as it is silly. Strong support is also provided by the senior members of the cast, with a particularly fine performance from Lyn Paul as Vi and Julian Agnew as the stern Reverend Moore.