Saturday Night Fever At Edinburgh Playhouse Review

Reviewed by Deb Mackenzie

WARNING: Depicts Sexual behaviour; radicalism and obscene language.

Based on the 1977 film, Bill Kenwright’s production has the ‘Bee Gees’ (Jake Byrom, James Hudson and Oliver Thomson, all excellent) and band performing live on stage, overlooking the performance. These performers were amazing and gave the show a tribute feeling to the show.  The synopsis followed the film, but at times it was a bit muddled and even the costumes were not iconic to the era.

The plot is centred around a 19-year-old Italian American Tony Manero from a neighbourhood of Brooklyn New York. He lives at home, with his parents and sister, and works at a paint store during the day where he is getting along fine and even gets a raise. He isn’t happy as his dreams are bigger than what he experiences from his abusive father at home and a job that is going nowhere. His escape is to go to the 2001 Odyssey discotheque where he is revered as the king of the dance floor. Tony has four close friends: Joey, Double J, Gus and Bobby C; plus a young girl Annette who is besotted with Tony, but he is not attracted to her.

The 2001 Odyssey is holding a dancing competition with a $1000 prize; Tony at first agrees to partner with Annette; but she mistakenly sees this as Tony is wanting to connect with her. But Tony had seen this beautiful girl dancing at the discotheque and was hoping to make a connection. By chance he meets her at the dance studio where they are practicing, and they agree to dance together. There is a mutual attraction, but Stephanie just wants to be friends, but Tony constantly makes advances at her.

Frank Jr. Tony’s older brother and the pride of the family as a Catholic priest, comes home unexpectedly telling them he has quit the priesthood. Tony and Frank have a close relationship and is pleased that he is no longer the black sheep of the family. Frank Jr tells Tony that he was only drawn to the priesthood to make their parents happy and the ideology of it, but all he saw was the negativity within the religion. He sees Tony dance and tells him that he needs to do something with his dancing.

Bobby C is in turmoil because he has been trying to get away from his girlfriend and has now found out that she is pregnant with his child. He is being pressured to do the right thing and marry her; he asks Frank Jr if the Pope would grant him dispensation for an abortion. When he is told that this would not be possible, Bobby C is feeling even more desperate.

On the way home Gus is attacked by a gang and needs treatment. He tells the group of friends that it was the Barracudas, a Puerto Rican gang. It is only after they ambush the gang that Gus had named the wrong gang. A beat-up and limping Tony and Stephanie dance at the competition and are victorious. Tony says that the competition has been rigged as the judge’s decision was ethnically motivated for them to win and gives the prize to the Puerto Rican dance couple.

After the competition Tony tries again to seduce Stephanie, but she runs from him. The other boys come along with a very intoxicated/drug induced state Annette, when Joey tells Tony arrogantly that she has agreed to have sex with all of them. Tony tries to steer Annette away, but she says she is going with them to the bridge, their local hang out place. Tony is uncomfortable with the situation and intervenes getting them to stop. They all start their usual cable climbing and rail walking stunts, but this time Bobby C participates and is being even more reckless than any of them. He eventually falls to his death in the waters below.

Tony totally disgusted and disillusioned by life; takes off alone and spends the night riding the subway into Manhattan. He arrives at Stephanie’s apartment where he apologies and begs her to forgive him, telling her that he is planning on starting his life away from this past and relocate in Manhattan. She forgives Tony and apologises for her behaviour towards him. They agree to continue to support each other as friends.

The film was in a different era where women were called ‘Bitches and Good Girls’; men were more important and expected to be treated as such. However, there was excitement, high energy and the dancing was spectacular. Sadly, this wasn’t the case with the show, it seemed to be extremely monotonous in the choreography as it was all much the same. The audience was restless waiting for the fever to break and the dance floor to erupt in excitement with the dance competition being held in a discotheque, but the dance routines were more of a classical theme.

I loved the music and the singing being a child of the 70’s, the band and ‘Bee Gees’ gave it their all; but sadly the performance was lacking the fire portrayed in the film. At times the story line seemed jumbled and disconnected, this could be overlooked if you know the full story from before.

Rating: 3.5/5

The show is on fromTuesday 1st November 2022 until Saturday 5th November 2022

Tickets cost from £13.00 (subject to a transaction fee of £3.80)

For more information or to book tickets please visit Saturday Night Fever Tickets | Edinburgh Playhouse in Edinburgh | ATG Tickets or phone the box office on 0333 009 6690

18-22 Greenside Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA