REVIEW: Saturday Night Fever at The Palace Theatre

The stage musical version of the iconic 1977 movie has just kicked off its national tour on Tuesday September 27 at The Palace Theatre in Manchester.

Judging by the hysterical delight of the opening night audience throughout the production, the show is going to be a hit across the country!

This disco inferno of a show perfectly captures so many aspects of the original movie and portrays them so accurately, giving a heady rush of nostalgia to anyone who has watched the original cast and paying a lovely tribute to the much-loved film, bringing it to life in a new light without dismissing adored details. Everything we loved about the film is authentically re-created and depicted so wonderfully in this true classic.

This blast from the past delves into the life of 19-year-old Tony trying to escape the harsh reality of his bleak family life by dominating the local disco dance floor. While toiling away at work and constantly fighting with his father & competing with his family’s rose-tinted view of his older brother, he meets Stephanie Mangano who he begins training with for an upcoming dance competition. As Stephanie’s high ambitions for a life beyond Brooklyn begin to change Tony’s life, he questions his own morals and the route his life is headed on to find possible ways out of the cycle he feels trapped in.

Photo Credit: Paul Coltas

Tony Manero, played by Jack Wilcox, was absolutely fantastic. His prowling, arrogant strut was so effortless & his depiction of the character, famously played by John Travolta, was perfect. The well-known swaggering, ‘bad-boy’ demeanour was met with whoops and cheers numerous times as he entered the stage and wolf whistles sounded throughout the theatre as he preened himself in the mirror & performed a swift act of changing into his famous white suit.

The role of Stephanie was played by Rebekah Bryant and her dancing was just phenomenal! The fluency and technique as she performed her routines was flawless.

Harry Goodson-Bevan, playing Tony’s friend Bobby C, delivered his song ‘Tragedy’ with such emotion and sentiment. Although the whole cast were all exceptionally talented, he had a real spark and such an obvious passion for his role.

And a very well-deserved mention to rising star Faizal Jaye who stepped into the shoes of the resident club DJ! His explosive energy was absolutely infectious and everyone in the audience around us were just in complete awe each time he entered the stage with his admirable stamina & enthusiasm. It was impossible to draw your eyes from him.

Photo Credit: Paul Coltas

The show kicked into high gear during the exhilarating, upbeat dance ensemble numbers. The movie’s terrific routines were transferred over to the stage with some flashy, rhythmic original sections added in too. The dancers were wonderful, their technique on point as they brought us funky & exciting routines to the vocals performed by the insanely talented trio (Jake Byrom, Oliver Thomson and James Hudson) who replicated the Bee Gee’s iconic falsetto notes.

The whole visual concept of the show was incredible, and the stage set was superb. With the use of very minimal large props, the cast were able to re-enact outdoors scenes very cleverly with very little movement, switching between scenes smoothly.

The show grapples with darker topics including suicide, domestic abuse and sexual assault while still keeping a clever balance with a more comedic element so that the content isn’t too heavy while still sticking with the original film’s serious subject matter.

There was a tremendous atmosphere throughout the night, with audience up on their feet dancing and jiving along as the night came to a close. This is most definitely a show you won’t want to miss out on, an absolutely breathtaking creation!

Saturday Night Fever is on at The Palace Theatre until Saturday October 1.

For tickets and performance details visit: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/saturday-night-fever/palace-theatre-manchester/