Marvellous night with a motley crew
Stepping Out, Princess Theatre
FOUR STARS
STEPPING Out mixes highly visual comedy with lots of wit and a bit of drama to make this a very enjoyable show.
The 21st anniversary tour of the 1984 play written by Richard Harris tells of the complicated lives of seven women and one man, their teacher and pianist at a weekly tap dancing class.
The pressure is on when the Mavis Turner Tapers find out they are to perform in a charity concert and the practising begins in earnest.
Only the motley crew of misfits don't have much talent and we giggle our way through some fantastically awful dancing.
Every member of the cast gives an outstanding performance.
And it combines with such precise comic timing that you barely have time to catch your breath before erupting into the next belly-laugh.
Highlights included Susie Fenwick as the busy-body, pseudo-posh housewife Vera. She captured the character perfectly.
Brian Capron, best known for his role as Richard Hillman in Coronation Street, is fantastic as the nervous widower Geoffrey.
We never quite discover Geoffrey's motivation for taking the tap class but he is clearly a fish out of water. With a fantastic array of patterned jumpers, slightly too short trousers and shaky dancing skills his visual humour is superb.
Bolshie commoner Sylvia played by Jessie Wallace (Kat Slater in Eastenders) did the best job in terms of character development. By the end of the play I felt as though 'my Terry' was part of the show.
Timid, covered up Andy (Johanne Murdock), who is lacking in self esteem because of a violent relationship, adds another great dimension to the cast. She keeps herself to herself and even Vera's constant gossiping fails to expose Andy's skeletons.
Personal details are skilfully interwoven and often come out through Vera's incessant gossiping.
The set was brilliantly designed as one of those slightly drafty multi-purpose church halls that anyone who has taken an evening dance class has probably visited.
A very nice touch was the use of the front of the stage as a mirror, enabling the performers to look directly into the audience whilst delivering lines to characters behind them.
Set in the 80s, an era of leg warmers, leotards and tights, the costumes are a joy.
The finale exhibits the cast's dancing talent to the full and you begin to appreciate just how hard it must have been to dance so badly.
Stepping Out is a great feel-good performance. And as the cast took their final bow, grinning from ear to ear, you got the impression they'd enjoyed it almost as much as the audience.
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by Roy, Torbay
Monday, October 26 2009, 12:12PM
“Dear Phil, having extensive knowledge and experience does not give me superior intelligence, i'm simply a person who has earned a good living for some 64 years within most area's of the entertainment industr, I feel it gives me a bit of an edge. But a poor production is a poor production, I wonder if you saw the play last week, or what your involement in it was, or even what your knowledge of the entertainment business might be, please explain it would help me understand your comments. I gave an opinion, which was also the feelings of several exalted collegues in other area's of the country that this play has been to. I feel that it is very important for me to request that you do refrain from placing me on any form of pedestal for I am only a humble uneducated actor, a mere gypsy at heart.”
by Phil, Exeter
Monday, October 26 2009, 11:07AM
“Dear Roy, I humbly bow to your obvious superior intelligence!!
We are so lucky to have such a supreme authority on the theatre living in our midst.
May I suggest that you immediately commence employment within the media as the ultimate authority on all matters theatrical.
I for one would avidly avoid your work. Sorry, did I say avoid? Of course I meant seek out!”
by Roy, Torbay
Sunday, October 25 2009, 6:30PM
“Dear Phil, unfortunately for both of us I know what i'm talking about and do have the knowledge and extensive experience to back up my remarks, which I doubt you have, in addition if you really knew me you would know I am very far from pompous, also I have no problem using my own name. Whilst I do have extensive knowledge of this play it does not detract from the fact that it was a poor offering for the Theatre going public. For many years I have strived to encourage the provincial theatre to improve it's productions for the audience, and I don't mean STARS, just because we are many miles from London does not mean we should get the weakest plays and shows. I hope this helps when you comment on other subjects.”
by Phil, Exeter
Saturday, October 24 2009, 10:55AM
“Dear Roy Winbow, what a pompous blowhard you are!!
It is quite possible to do a critique based on the actual show itself, not as a comparison of previous versions or other similar shows.
All you are doing with your comments is trumpeting your own self conceived knowledge of the theatre.”
by Roy Winbow, Torbay
Friday, October 23 2009, 3:03PM
“I'm not sure where your reviewer saw this play, but it wasn't in Torquay, unless the cast staged a very special performance. The talents of the actor from past knowlege is exceptional, but i'm afraid they are not shown to there best in this production, I know this play well, and when casting you have to bear in mind that the finale must be very showbiz with lots of glitter and sparkle but most importantly DANCERS. Some of the actors could dance but not all, and why was the tapping taped ?.
Sadly this play misses the mark because to much effort was put into using amusing voices, and to little time was spent on the plot and revealing the problems that each charactor has to overcome, also see 'A Chorus Line'. With great resect to the cast I would only just about give it 3-. I would however recommend that before a reviewer decides to do a critique they do their research first.”