Reviewed by Janine Rumble
Saturday Night Fever is a musical for all. It has disco dancing, amazing music by The Bee Gees, love, power, social acceptance, 70s fashion, struggle between family and friends, but at the very heart of the story, there is a young man trying to find himself and his place in the world in Brooklyn, New York in the 1970s.
It features a stellar cast of extremely talented dancers/actors/singers who bring the story of Tony Manero, his friends and search for a better life for himself to life, alongside an amazing Bee Gees soundtrack that will have you dancing in the aisles by the end of it.
Tony Manero is played by the triple threat actor Richard Winsor, who acted, danced and sang with passion and energy throughout. He brought the character to life and made it his own. For fans of the film and John Travolta who starred as Tony Manero in it, Richard Winsor does not try to recreate that Tony Manero; he has his own version of him, complete with thick Brooklyn accent, dance moves and hip moving strut! He was brilliant! Especially his dancing, just amazing to watch and not just for the disco dancing, but for all the other styles of dancing too.
Through the show, you see Tony’s struggle to find out what he wants from life and where he wants his life to go, alongside his struggles with his family, a religious mother, a sister, an overbearing bully of a father and his disgraced brother, his friends, local gangs and the woman he wants to be with. That woman being Stephanie Mangano, played by the beautiful Olivia Fines, who is also a triple threat, beautiful dancer, amazing singer and actor. Through the show, you also see Stephanie’s struggles with wanting a better life for herself across the river in Manhattan and his unfurling friendship with Tony.
The amazing Bee Gees library of songs are used so well throughout the show and move us from scene to scene, from fast, energetic disco classics such as Staying Alive, Night Fever and Jive Talkin’ to slower songs, such as What Kind Of Woman. These are all sung by the brilliant talented ‘Bee Gees’ in their gold suits high above the stage on an iron walkway. Barry Gibb is played by Jake Byrom, Maurice Gibb is played by James Kenneth Haughan and Robin Gibb is played by Danny Knott. They look and sound so convincing as the Bee Gees that you could easily be mistaken that they were the real Bee Gees.
The stage was very clever, with a series of metal stairways and walkways used to represent the back passages of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge, but then scenery was added to turn this into the Manero’s front room, with a backdrop of tradition Brooklyn houses and with one stairwell representing Tony’s bedroom. Then the scenery changes and it becomes a disco complete with light up dance floor, large disco balls and a large mirror cleverly angled so you can see all the dancers from all sides. Other scene changes include the hardware shop where Tony works and the dance studio where he and Stephanie practise their dancing. All props were kept to a minimum with the stairwells used to great effect when the characters were walking from place to place as this represented that. The live band were visible throughout the night as they sat on the left and right metal walkways above the stage with the ‘Bee Gees’ on the middle walkway. I thought this was very clever.
The attention to detail in the 70s fashion and the costumes was brilliant, you really felt you were back in the 70s. It was like a snapshot of the era. Watching Saturday Night Fever was like taking a step back in time for the evening. The dancers were mesmerising, the energy and enthusiasm within which they performed was truly amazing. How they had the energy to dance one high-octane dance after another with the same enthusiasm and energy throughout was just awesome. I loved watching them; they are such a talented group of dancers and made me wish I could dance like them. The music had me singing along and tapping my feet, you just have to love a bit of the Bee Gees.
I would highly recommend going to see this show, especially if you are a fan of musicals, or a fan of the film, or a fan of the Bee Gees or you are just looking for a good night out. This show has something for everyone.
I watched the show at Milton Keynes Theatre, it is a large theatre but with lots of amenities, so you do not have to queue for long to get to a bar or to a toilet. All staff I encountered with enthusiastic and polite and the theatre itself was warm, clean and welcoming. The seats we had were very spacious and comfortable. The car park is a short walk away and there are numerous dining establishments in the vicinity should you wish to have a meal before the show. I would recommend going to see a show at Milton Keynes Theatre.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £13 (plus £3.65 transaction fee).
Saturday Night Fever is at Milton Keynes Theatre from 15-19 October 2019, for more information or to book tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or call the box office on 0844 8717652.
Milton Keynes Theatre, 500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK9 3NZ
