Reviewed by Louise Watts
In 1977, John Travolta became an international household name after the release of the now iconic film “Saturday Night Fever”. Playing the part of Tony Manero, a working-class boy with a dysfunctional family life who uses his dancing as an escape mechanism, he eventually experiences stardom. He falls in love with his co-dancer Stephanie, but this is more complicated than it would appear. Throw in some unrequited love, glitter balls and incredible dance moves and you have a fantastic story!
The accompanying sound track written and performed by the Bee Gees remains one of the bestselling sound tracks of all times and epitomizes the world of disco!
Fast forward 40 years and myself and my husband went to The Hawth theatre in Crawley last night for the opening night of Saturday Night Fever the musical, starring Casualty’s Richard Winsor as Tony. He was nothing short of incredible and along with his co-stars put on a magnificent, highly charged and amazingly choreographed performance.
The highlight of the evening for me was Richard’s solo dance to Immortality. His performance was beautiful and with the words from the song in the context of the story, it was very emotional. The other star of the show, in my eyes, was Raphael Pace who played the part of Bobbie C. His performance was absolutely outstanding and faultless.
As well as the actors and dancers, the Bee Gees themselves were played by the most amazing vocalists and you would be forgiven for thinking that the Gibb brothers were actually in the room singing. Their voices were matched perfectly, and I have no doubt that they would have made the boys proud if it were possible for them to hear.
The set was gorgeous and at times, I forgot it was a set and believed we were in a discotheque in the 1970’s. The flooring, glitter balls and mirrors gave the feeling that it was real. The additional pieces of set were adaptable and with the back drop changing, it was simple but top quality. I really liked the fact that the singers and the band were in full view of the audience at all times as this truly integrated them into the show.
The running time was around 2½ hours including an interval and this flew by way too fast. The finale climaxed with the audience on their feet dancing and clapping along. That in itself is a clear sign that they had enjoyed themselves. The show is suggested as being appropriate for ages 15 and above which I think is fair due to some bad language and the adult themes.
The Hawth, situated just outside the town centre in Crawley, has ample on-site parking which is also free making it easily accessible for all. The staff are always friendly, approachable and are happy to help wherever they can. There is a bar on site for all your refreshment needs whilst there and they also have food available pre-theatre which although we did not eat tonight, I can say that from previous personal experience is very good.
I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone with an appreciation for dance or who has seen the film and enjoys the music from the Bee Gees. I promise you will not regret it. The show is called Saturday Night Fever but to be honest, with the performance the cast put on tonight it would give you fever any night of the week. An absolutely outstanding, top quality performance by all involved.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £35.50 to £43.50 (booking fees may apply).
Saturday Night Fever is at The Hawth in Crawley from 15-19 January 2019, for more information or to book tickets visit hawth.co.uk or call the box office on 01293 553636.
The Hawth, Hawth Avenue, Crawley, Sussex, RH10 6YZ | 01293 553636
