Review: FAME, King's Theatre, Glasgow

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the stage version of Fame, this brand new production is introducing a fresh audience to life at P.A. Four thousand auditioned for this school of performing arts and only ninety-six were accepted so we are meeting the "cream of the crop" as Miss Sherman says.

There's a lot going on in Fame. With a dozen 'main' characters and multiple storylines throughout, it emphasises the fast-paced whirlwind of performing arts.

Carmen Diaz (played by Stephanie Rojas) is more hungry for fame than most and despite her slightly obnoxious attitude to her own talent, she's a character that you really care about. Rojas brings a star quality to Carmen's big numbers, the self-assured "There She Goes" and the more emotional "In L.A."

Mica Paris is a force of nature as Miss Sherman. Despite the unbearable heat in the auditorium, her version of "These Are My Children" is guaranteed to give you chills.

Nick Winston's choreography at the beginning is a little rough around the edges to show that the students aren't yet trained to their full potential. Later in the production, Tyrone (Jamal Kane Crawford) and Iris (Jorgie Porter) are beautifully choreographed and make a complex ballet scene look effortless.

One thing that I particularly liked about this production was that it wasn't hugely clear when it was set until they mentioned that they were the class of 1984. Previous productions have tried to modernise Fame with the addition of smartphones and selfies which can be cringeworthy to watch. As I couldn't tell whether it was meant to be set now or in the 80's for most of the show, they've also done an excellent job of making this production feel fresh and in no way dated.

I'm a little bit precious about Fame because it is the first stage musical that I fell head over heels in love with. The most iconic scene for me was always the yellow cab that comes out during the curtain call and I have to admit that I was a tiny bit disappointed that this production doesn't have that. However, the high-energy finale is still guaranteed to have the audience on their feet and leaving with a smile on their face!

Fame is at the King's Theatre, Glasgow until Saturday 4th August.

Photo credit: Tristram Kenton

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