Theatre Review: Flashdance - the Musical, Liverpool Empire

Jan 27 2009 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

COMPETING for the Dirty Dancing, Mama Mia!, Eighties girlie musical dollar now comes Flashdance – the Musical.

One of the most archetypal American movies of the decade, Flashdance told the tale of Alex, a female welder by day who dreams of making it as a dancer. The odds are stacked against her and she's got something to prove. You can guess the rest.

And that's the main frustration with this new stage version. It's really not one for the cynical theatregoer.

The show is a mixture of familiar songs from the film's soundtrack (Maniac, What a Feeling, etc) and standard musical theatre fare.

Victoria Hamilton-Barritt has a lot on her shoulders as Alex, carrying the iconic dance scenes as in the film version, belting out a few numbers (about being poor, etc), and leading an interesting nightmare sequence as all her problems come to a head.

An impressive dancer, she does exactly what the job demands. There is little time for anything else, as scenes flit from set-up to set-up, existing mostly only as plot device – and even as humourless, 80s film-style montages at times.

As a famous name draw, Bruno Langley (best known as Coronation Street's Todd) is thoroughly underused. His wrong- side-of-the-tracks bad boy, Jimmy, is never either as dramatic or as sympathetic as he could possibly be – less a fault of the actor than the little time given to develop the troubled character.

Former Hear’say pop star Noel Sullivan barely fares much better as preppie mill manager with a conscience Nick. He looks the part, performs well, and proves a decent foil for Alex's endless defensive attitude, but it would have been nicer to see him more. Bernie Nolan, as ever, is excellent value for money as Alex's mother, Hannah.

The main reason to go and see this show remains the choreography, by Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips. The bright and busy ensemble routines are far and away the real highlight.

* FLASHDANCE is on at the Empire until January 31.