Review: Flashdance At The Shaftesbury Theatre
Published on Wednesday 24th November, 10.32am, Written by Amy Whiting
When going to see a stage adaptation of a beloved 80s movie, you’re always taking the risk that you’ll walk away wishing they’d left it alone. Thankfully, Flashdance the Musical doesn’t disappoint.
Considering the fact that ‘dance’ is in the title of the show, you don’t need to have seen the film to figure out that this is a vital element. And this production certainly delivers on dance, boasting an ensemble of talented dancers from street dance to more traditional styles. They handle the choreography well, not only carrying out the moves but bringing personality to them, and overall they’re always enjoyable to watch.
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt in Flashdance
One of the most important elements in turning Flashdance into an enjoyable stage show was always going to be getting the right leading lady to play the character of Alex Owens. After recently playing the role in a UK tour of the production, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt reprises the role, and it’s clear from the start that she deserves to be playing the West End lead.
In a show that relies on the cast to be skilled dancers, there may have been the potential for this to come at the expense of vocal ability, but Hamilton-Barritt is excellent vocally and gives a high-energy performance that, frankly, made me feel a bit tired just watching her.
Her interpretation of the character is feisty yet vulnerable, and it’s impossible not to feel for her. I’m going to assume that there are still people in the world who haven’t seen the film, so won’t go into too much detail, but suffice it to say that in the show’s pivotal dramatic scene, Hamilton-Barritt gives an intense and compelling performance. Overall, she is a joy to watch.
Playing opposite her in the role of Nick Hurley is Matt Willis, formerly of pop band Busted. Although one would be forgiven for being cynical about the ability of pop stars to make a transition to theatre, Willis gives a good vocal performance and has great natural chemistry with Hamilton-Barritt, so the developing relationship between Alex and Nick is played out well. Vocally, Willis is still more pop than stage, but unless you’re something of a theatre purist you probably won’t be bothered because his voice is strong regardless.
Visually, the production is great. Morgan Large’s set design is effective in setting the scene for some particularly contrasting locations, from Hurley Steel to the prestigious Shipley Dance Academy. Howard Harrison’s lighting design also works well in conjunction with the sets to create just the right atmosphere, and is particularly effective in silhouetting the dancers (though I will admit that in general I wasn’t sold on some of the projections which were used).
I’m not going to pretend that the show is flawless. It’s not, and this type of show won’t be for everyone. Some people may be turned off by the semi-jukebox musical nature of it, for example. But Flashdance is a fun, high-energy show with a mix of original and well-known songs, a talented cast, and great sets, and that was certainly enough for me to enjoy the show.
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