Dirty Dancing In Concert at Lighthouse Poole Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Helen O
Having been a massive fan of Dirty Dancing for pretty much the last 35 years, I jumped at the chance to experience the film in a whole new way at the Lighthouse Poole by watching Dirty Dancing in Concert.
We were seated in seats in row H in the stalls of the Concert Hall, and were to the right of the auditorium, but afforded a great view of the stage and screen. The seats are very comfortable and have loads of leg room, so you can sit back and enjoy the performance in comfort.
Dirty Dancing in Concert is a unique way of watching the iconic movie as you are treated to a complete screening of this digitally remastered fan favourite, but it is accompanied by a live band and singers, who perform live and in sync with the timeless soundtrack of the movie as it plays out. They literally play all the music from the movie, not just the big hits, but all the background music too.
I hadn’t been sure about what to expect from the performance – was it a sing-along where you could just let loose and dance along or was it a performance to appreciate the skill of the musicians and singers? During the introduction, it was made clear that you could join in and sing along with your favourite songs. However, in reality, the audience seemed, in the most part, to just be enjoying soaking in the opportunity to watch their favourite movie on the big screen once more. Although there were some notable moments of whooping and cheering when the most iconic lines and scenes were delivered. With the first of those moments arising when Patrick Swayze, aka Johnny Castle, first appeared on the screen.
Having never been to a performance like this before, I found it difficult to decide if my focus should be on the movie or if I should be watching the singers and band, while they were performing. It felt almost as though both elements were competing for my attention, as during my focus on the singers, I missed the iconic ‘watermelon’ line!
One criticism was that occasionally the music and singing drowned out the dialogue on screen, which wasn’t a problem for the die-hard fans who know the lines inside out, but it’s something for future consideration.
The band are very skilled musicians in their own right, comprising of a number of different musical instruments, from guitar, keyboard, drums, and saxophone, with many of the band playing more than one instrument (not at the same time!) The singers Luke, Rebecca, and Daniel, each had fantastic voices, delivering their songs effortlessly and genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves.
There was a short interval after approximately an hour, allowing a quick refreshment break for the audience, to prepare them for the finale.
Of course, the biggest reaction from the audience was during the Kellerman’s season finale, when Johnny arrives back to rescue ‘Baby’ from her corner.
Not only did we get to enjoy the entire film, but as the credits rolled, what’s billed as ‘the encore party’ started, with the wonderful singers once again performing all the greatest hits from the film. The audience were actively encouraged to get to their feet and party and there certainly wasn’t any time wasted with the majority of the audience joining in and everyone having a great time!
Dirty Dancing in Concert is touring throughout the UK in March 2024, with a further 10 dates remaining. With a ticket price of between £32.45 and £72.05 each depending on seat location. If I’m being honest, the tickets at the lower end of the scale are much more representative of the price I’d be prepared to pay for the performance. I’m not sure where the pricing for the upper end have come from.
The performance is marketed as age 12+ which is in line with the 12 rating awarded by the British Board of Film Classification for the film.
I’d recommend the performance for those die-hard Dirty Dancing fans, who want to relive the magic of this wonderful movie.
Rating: 3.5/5
RRP – Ticket prices start from £32.45 to £72.05
Buy tickets here: https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/event/dirty-dancing-in-concert/ Dirty Dancing in Concert was appearing at Lighthouse Poole for one night only, as part of their March 2024 UK tour. With a further 10 dates remaining in the tour.
Address: Lighthouse, 21 Kingland Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1UG