BWW Reviews: FLASHDANCE, Shaftesbury Theatre, October 2010

Lucinda Hawksley

Flashdance begins with an immediate transportation to the 1980s, as a man in a shellsuit
breakdances across the stage. The ensemble that follows bursts with energy - and then
the story begins....

First off, the dancing. There's a lot of it, it's worth going just to see it and Arlene Phillips' choreography is excellent. By the end, the audience was itching to get up and dance.

Matt Willis - yes, he from Busted - played a slightly too timid Nick Hurley, his singing was great, but there wasn't much on-stage chemistry with his leading lady. For me, that was the biggest disappointment. Although Victoria Hamilton-Barritt has a strong fanbase and the audience seemed to love her, I'd expected more. I'm willing to believe I saw her on an off-night, but she lacked the charisma the role needed. It didn't help that, during the first half, Alex is completely outclassed by her three best friends: Gloria (Charlotte Harwood), Keisha (Hannah Levane) and the seriously talented TwinnieLee Moore as Jazmin. (Twinnielee also plays Alex on Victoria's rest days.) For some bizarre reason, Alex barely shows her stuff for the first hour and doesn't get the chance to dance "like she's never danced before" until the stage curtain's about to fall for the interval.

During the second half, Victoria finally got into her groove. The dancing was better, the plot faster and the audience more enthusiastic. Flashdance is full of songs you thought you'd forgotten - Maniac, Gloria, I Love Rock ‘n' Roll - but the story's odd. We'd seen her precisely twice with a drink in her hand, so Gloria's sudden revelation of alcoholism was a mild surprise; ditto Jimmy (played very well by Sam Mackay) goes from being an irritating petty crim to a drug-crazed, misunderstood desperado.

Ultimately, the biggest problem with Flashdance is its plot, which can only be described in all honesty as truly dire and, if being kind, as "kitsch", but it's a problem Flashdance shares with half the musicals-from-films showing in the West End at the moment, and the majority of people who flock to buy tickets don't care. What they want is the music and the dancing - and Flashdance has both in abundance.

Booking until 26 Feb 2010
Ticket prices: £20-£55
Box Office 020 7379 5399
Running time 2 hour and 25 mins including 20-minute interval
www.flashdancethemusical.com

 

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