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Footloose
Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society


The Palace Theatre 
22nd- 25th October 2014
The hotly anticipated Footloose has finally come to The Palace Theatre this week and tonight’s opening night audience were clearly ready for some action before the overture had even begun.  With such eager anticipation, I wondered whether Sallie Warrington’s cast would be able to come up with the goods expected of them; but I needn’t have worried, for as the curtain goes up we are instantly introduced to the company exploding upon the stage, singing and dancing to the title song, Footloose and this really sets the pace.

This leads us into the scenario of Ren, played by the talented Olly Gourley and his mother, Ethel, played with great characterisation by Zoe Berry, having to move from their home town of Chicago to the very small town of Bomont to live with relatives.  This, due to the fact that Ren’s father has walked out on them without so much as an explanation.

Bomont, we soon discover, has a history and the cocky Ren, with a chip on his shoulder, learns the hard way that the town he has been forced to move to is not quite the same as the big city he has reluctantly left.  All alcohol and drugs have been banned from use and, most importantly to this story…..dancing! Yes, dancing!  This, we discover, is because of a tragedy  that happened in the town 5 years earlier leading to the demise of 4 young people  who had been under the influence of these evils.  

An implausible situation you may say. How on earth would that ever happen, you may think.  Frankly, who cares.  Yes, the story is rather lame but what makes this show an automatic hit is that the dialogue has been taken at full throttle and has been made believable.  Yes, it’s cheesy but if those lines are delivered just right, the real sense of the story comes through and we, the audience, end up totally gunning for Ren to turn Bomont around and bring it back to how it was before.  And, of course, there’s dancing. Lot’s of it.

Of course, this situation would not be complete without Ren having a love interest thrown into the mix and Gemma Cohen as Ariel, plays the part perfectly.  She’s the preacher’s daughter with just enough sassiness and yet an enormous amount of vulnerability for us to completely endear to her.  Her brother was one of the four kids who died and her father, the preacher of the town, played compassionately by Peter Brown, has made her feel trapped due to his over-protectiveness.  Her mother, beautifully played by Sara Hickling, is trapped between the two and she has some wonderfully emotional scenes with her husband.  Her song, Can You find It In Your Heart, really tugs at the heart strings.  Likewise with Peter Brown.

But let’s not get bogged down with the sentimentality.  This show is ultimately about dancing and we are treated to some amazingly upbeat dance numbers.  Sallie Warrington, assisted by Matt Ford, has brought out the very best of what must be one of the largest casts to grace The Palace Theatre stage.  Ensemble pieces are colourful and vibrant and you find yourself constantly grinning away and tapping your feet.  There’s some delightful choreography in this show and each and every member of the cast give it 100% throughout. 

Some of the numbers you may all be familiar with such as Footloose, Holding out for a Hero and Let’s Hear it for the Boy but other songs in this production are equally engaging; I particularly enjoyed Somebody’s Eyes with it’s fabulous harmonies and Mama Says which had the audience chuckling away.

Something in this show that I didn’t expect was that it is actually rather funny.  Good comedy moments require good acting skills and we were not let down.  Olly Gourley has some fantastic comedic moments shared equally with Matthew Wallace as the hard man come mummy’s boy, Willard.  I also loved Ariel’s three ditzy friends, Wendy Jo (Natalie McMillan), Urleen (Rebecca Wallace) and Rusty, played by Tori Williams, who desperately wants Willard to ask her out.  I really enjoyed Matthew and Tori’s performances as Willard and Rusty; both giving some wonderfully funny moments and also giving us some amazing vocals, particularly Tori in Let’s Hear it for the Boy. 

Olly and Gemma as Ren and Ariel work really well together and Almost Paradise was beautifully sung. In her first leading role, Gemma Cohen really proves that she has what it takes.

The show has great pace which is really refreshing as this can sometimes be lacking on a first night and scene changes were quick and seamless.  The sets were simple yet effective and there was good use of creative lighting.  It was also a pleasure to appreciate a band that didn’t feel the need to overpower the singers.

The cast have obviously made a great connection during the rehearsal process and this really shows on stage. I think it’s safe to say, judging by the buzz in the foyer after the show, that the audience were in full agreement that this was an excellent evening’s entertainment.

I strongly suggest that if, for any reason, you feel the need to ‘kick off your Sunday blues’ that you get down to The Palace Theatre in Westcliff and ‘cut Footloose’.  You won’t be disappointed. This show will leave you with the cheesy grin it fully sets out to do from the off!

This show is selling out fast so grab your tickets at www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the Box Office on 01702 351135.


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What the audience thought

Lynne Young from Ashingdon

“It was a real fun show with lots of energy and superb dancing.” “Lots of strong characters. I loved Willard!”

Charlie Mayes from Shoebury

“It was brilliant.  The choreography was amazing, I couldn’t fault it.”

Jess Hallett from Southend

“I really liked Ren’s mum (played by Zoe Berry), she was really believable.  I also liked the vicar (Peter Brown).”

Roger Young from Ashingdon

“It was a nice ‘feel good’ show. Very colourful and exciting. If there were any rough edges, they didn’t show.” 

Suzanne Walters from Westcliff on Sea

“It was full of life and had a joyful buzz.  Sallie Warrington is my mentor!”



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