Theatre Review: Dirty Dancing (2021 UK Tour)

(Ad – Event Invite*) I carried a watermelon in my spaghetti arms all the way to the Alexandra Theatre for Press Night of Dirty Dancing. Nobody puts me in the corner. (Enough Dirty Dancing references in that first paragraph for you?)

“God wouldn’t have given you maracas if He didn’t want you to shake ’em”

The Dirty Dancing movie was never out of our video player (remember those kids?) in the late 80s. And with this being my fourth time seeing the classic musical on stage it’s become the front-runner in my theatre visit hitlist too. Seeing as the film was a fundamental part of my growing-up, it’s only fair that I bring childhood friend Clare along for Press Night.

There’s no doubt that the movie was a rite of passage for anyone coming of age in the 80s and 90s. And 34 years after it was released, an audience predominantly made up of women pour into the auditorium, bathed in a pink neon glow. Sadly some thought that this show required audience participation, and proceeded to parrot every line, sing along to every song and shout random phrases, like some sort of Dirty Dancing tourettes. Or maybe this was just the people behind us.

Is there anyone that needs a reminder of the story? Quick recap for the one person out there that has never seen Dirty Dancing: a naïve young daddy’s girl falls under the spell of a swaggering and charismatic male dancer from the wrong side of the tracks. There’s some music. And there’s some dancing. Some of it is a little dirty. Some of it is downright obscene. In a good way of course.

“Me? I’m scared of everything”

Scratch beneath the sparkly surface of this boy-meets-girl love story and there are social issues aplenty. Civil rights. Illegal abortion. White entitlement. But let’s face it, one flex of Michael O’Reilly’s beautifully toned arms and it’s hard to concentrate on the darker topics lurking beneath.

In 2018, I watched Michael O’Reilly and Kira Malou as Johnny and Baby, and three years later they have perfected their roles. O’Reilly has more than grown into Castle’s shades and leather jacket during that time. And both he and Malou have the most wonderful chemistry. It’s little surprise to discover (after scouring their Instagram accounts for clues) that they are in fact a real-life cutesy couple.

Few women in the audience remain cool and collected as O’Reilly sheds his shirt on an alarmingly regular basis. If it’s a story about sexual awakening, the giddy audience appear to be joining them, with appreciative wolf whistles soon descending into ribald and lewd comments. I am, of course, purely admiring his dance talent.

“It’s a feeling. A heartbeat.”

A number of other cast members remain from that 2018 UK Tour. Lizzie Ottley returns as Lisa, bringing the house down with her delightful hula song; and Colin Charles is a witty and charming Tito. Carlie Milner is mesmerising as Johnny’s dance partner and childhood friend Penny, and she portrays both sexy siren and vulnerable victim equally well. But it should be illegal to possess legs that long.

The simple and effective set is designed to reflect the iconic mountain resort location of the movie. Some additional scenes have been added, but otherwise the script and storyline remains faithful. When you know the source material so well you constantly look for the same nuances and inflections in the delivery, and it can be a little jarring when it’s different. I also didn’t really care for the exaggerated comedy element and could have done without Mr Schumacher’s inflated role.

Dirty Dancing is a story played out against a great soundtrack, and the live production doesn’t try to shoehorn pointless vocal performances in for the sake of it. Amber Sylvia Edwards and Samuel Bailey do however showcase their talents on a couple of numbers, and the Kellerman house band is always a joy to listen to.

“I always do the last dance of the season”

There are few shows that almost entirely hinge on the anticipation of one single line. But as O’Reilly charges through the stalls to get his Baby out of the corner, the audience explode with excitement. And the final number, with it’s jubliant group dancing and that iconic lift, is full of joy. Like a good coffee, Dirty Dancing is frothy, hot and steamy.

And can you ever end a review of Dirty Dancing without mentioning that we all had the time of our lives?

Dirty Dancing plays at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 16th October. You can buy your tickets online here, or contact the Box Office on 0844 871 3011. The UK Tour continues until December 2021. 

Photo Credits: Mark Senior