Well, I wanted to love SNF but I left utterly deflated. I was expecting camp 70’s joy and left feeling a bit grubby and disappointed.
This production celebrates a tawdry outdated story that dragged, cruise ship vocals, repetitive moves and dizzying stage management – painful in places!
Let me be clear, it’s not horrible…it just didn’t move at any point in any way. It’s basically a 2* under-rehearsed disaster.
Bill Kenwright has malicious had this YouTube review removed twice. We are currently pursuing legal action:
Saturday Night Fever is an iconic funfest – but this production felt lacklustre. It just didn’t shine despite an enthusiastic cast.
At best it felt limp, at worst it was a F-Bomb laden tragedy.
If you’ve got ADHD you’ll love this show! Most songs are chopped to 90 seconds, but, you’ll get endless repetitive musical beds/fillers in-between scenes – which was massively irritating and distracting.
I guess the scene fillers are once again a result of yet another ‘no expense spent’ set from Bill Kenwright Productions….despite charging the same as his competitors.
This show would have looked tired 10 years ago. Lighting, staging, movement and theatre has moved on.
This could have been an amazing homage to a legendary and much loved film! Instead it’s a wasted opportunity.
To me, every high energy dance number looked the same. Same moves, just in a different order.
The show came alive when it went to pre-recorded click track, but even then, it all felt a bit cabaret for £45!
Some tickets at Wimbledon tonight sold for £55 – at least Dick Turpin wore a mask!
Based on the iconic 1977 American dance film starring John Travolta, it is set in 1979 in Brooklyn, New York and is about 19-year-old Tony Manero who is stuck in a dead end job but is an extraordinary dancer.
Manero is played by Richard Winsor who is dashing and dances leagues above everyone else on the stage (as he should). He’s quite compelling.
Sadly, the cockiness & swagger of his hips didn’t translate to the script. The dialogue was laboured – just give us the hits. This guy is a huge talent though – I’m not sure anyone could make this stage/set work to their advantage.
I give him 5*’s for spending 2 hours walking up and down stairs….mostly for no reason, often to a bedroom that doesn’t exist!
The only vocal in Act 2 that had leading lady pow was from Melody Jones. She’s fab…and wasted.
I also left cringing at the regular F bombs which felt incongruous and outdated dialogue that fell flat. “Elton John swings both ways – men and boys”. Ermmm.
Finally, somehow the 40 year old gag of women being ‘bitches’ just doesn’t fly in 2018. If the intention was to be funny or ironic – it failed with me and all of those around me.
Great shame, I was looking forward to this one. I paid for my ticket btw….and left early.
Review by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio 30th August 2018.
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