Theatre

An Officer and a Gentleman at Bradford Alhambra Theatre Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Kat Harrison

The 1980’s award-winning film ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ may be a favourite for many around my age but it’s one that has somehow managed to pass me by. Richard Gere in that white pristine uniform has become an iconic image and I knew that for many, the transition of this story from screen to stage and in particular via song, would be a concern. I was just going to take it as it came. And for me, it offered a fun, nostalgic night out showcasing some amazing talent.

‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ follows a group of American naval recruits, zoning in on a young man named Zack who’s looking to earn his wings to escape a tough upbringing. A gruelling training programme ensues but the local factory girls provide a welcome distraction. Zack meets Paula and through the medium of music, we follow the ups and downs of both their relationship and life on base. The plot is far from complicated with little occurring outside the brief synopsis, but the talent ensures the story ticks over.

Without really knowing the film, other than perhaps that a love story lies within, the draw to this musical for me was the smash-hit soundtrack, rather than the plot. I did expect ‘Up Where We Belong’ the song that features in the film to make more of an impact but there were so many other fabulous performances that it didn’t need to stand out.

The acting is superb (with American accents that don’t make you cringe) but it’s the music choices that provide the energy to really lift this production. For someone who normally loves a pop song, it was the power ballads that hit the right note for me. Foreigner’s ‘I want to know what love is’ and Heart’s ‘Alone’ were real highlights.

That said, there were times, especially in the first act where the sound didn’t feel quite balanced and I felt I missed out on both dialogue and lyrics. Nothing a tweak or two won’t fix.

I’m guessing, but from what I know about the film, I’m pretty sure there’ll be people questioning how the musical style is far removed from the serious drama you experience when watching the film. With modern musicals, a common criticism is that the songs are often shoehorned in to fit the action but I see this not as a negative but as part of a winning formula that make them the enjoyable entities that they are. I want a musical to have that feel good factor and when a popular song strikes up and succeeds in depicting the feelings of those on stage, be it by even a somewhat loose link, it’s going to make me smile. Music is emotive and in this production it’s the songs of some of the greats including Madonna, Bon Jovi and Cyndi Lauper that ensure the audience’s understanding of the characters.

What I liked about the performances of the songs is that many weren’t just imitations of original arrangements; the cast succeed in putting their own stamp on the well-known tunes, adding emphasis to lyrics, making them poignant and tying them into the tale. Particularly good at this was Luke Baker who plays the show’s lead – Zack Mayo. I wouldn’t have named ‘Blaze of Glory’ as one of my favourite Bon Jovi songs but Luke’s emotional rendition may just have changed that.

Luke as Zack was excellent throughout. When we first met his character I was a little non-plussed at this seemingly self-assured stud but the way Luke let his character develop and revealed his insecurities kept me gripped.

There wasn’t as much romance in the show as I expected which was fine by me; the dynamics of the friendships (and in particular the relationship between Zack and his Dad) were just as interesting. That said, we do journey with lead characters Zack and Paula (portrayed by a slick Georgia Lennon) through a budding romance. But it wasn’t so much their love story that captivated me, it was the emotional development of their pals Sid and Lynette’s more complex relationship and its consequences that stood tall.

Paul French as Sid captivated with his voice, giving a stellar performance as a troubled young man. And this was where the drama that a film may create was brought to the stage. Many of the songs add a light hearted insight into the Officers’ lives but Paul’s portrayal of Sid successfully creates a darker, sadder side to the story and adds important depth.

Olivia Foster-Browne as Casey Seegar, a woman in a man’s world offered up a real crowd pleaser with her rendition of Billy Ocean’s ‘When the Going gets Tough’. This performance featuring all the Navy candidates is a lot of fun and is a reminder that musical theatre is joyful. There could have been a real focus on feminism as Seegar battled to keep up with the men but I actually enjoyed that her success in completing a physical challenge was aided by her male counterparts and much preferred the focus of success being down to teamwork, rather than the sheer individual determination of a character, who happened to be female.

It was real-life teamwork that almost had me a shed a tear when the actress playing Lynette suddenly had to be replaced shortly into the second act. Sinead Long had given us some real powerhouse vocals and it came as quite a surprise when she was suddenly declared indisposed and the curtain came down mid-show. 10-minutes later the curtain rose again and immediately on stage we saw her understudy continue where she left off. Etisyai Philip who until that point had played an unnamed role within the ensemble, deserves a huge pat on the back for stepping in superbly, particularly at a point where the audience had started to question the likability of the character. There was no trace of nerves from Etisyai and the cast enveloped her into the action, with the show carrying on as seamlessly as it could given the interruption. The way Actor Paul French who’d played her other half acknowledged her in the bows demonstrated the immense respect the cast have one another. I feel the circumstances offered a real insight into the whole cast’s dedication to rehearsals and commitment to putting on a production that impresses. And that it did.

I thoroughly enjoyed the choreography from Joanna Goodwin who has used the military setting of the story to create impressive, regimented routines that not only set the scene but add to the atmosphere. They are particularly effective as the set is so simple. The audience has nothing more than a few props to transport them from navy base to factory, from bar to motel but amazingly it works, alongside the use a clever piece of shifting scaffolding, spun into scenes and used in a variety of ways to create different backgrounds.

If you’re interested in seeing a super talented cast perform legendary songs to an 80s backdrop, this is the show for you. There’s love, lies and laughter in this sensationally staged show whose protagonists aim to leave the past behind. It certainly provided a lovely couple of hours’ escape for me.

Rating: 4/5 

An Officer and a Gentleman is on at the Bradford Alhambra Theatre until 30th March.

Tickets prices between £15.75 – £43.75

Buy tickets @ https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/an-officer-and-a-gentleman#ticket-listing

https://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/an-officer-and-a-gentleman

Find out more about the musical and future tour dates @ https://officerandagentlemanthemusical.com

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