Get Down Tonight at the Charing Cross Theatre
★★
With a soundtrack provided by KC and the Sunshine Band, full of disco hits, the show seems set to be a success, but unfortunately, it falls short throughout. From plot gaps to uninvited audience participation, Get Down Tonight was not the hit I hoped it would be.
*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*
Content Warnings:
There were not any content warnings on display, however these are the potential warnings that I made note of:
Strobe
Haze
References to Homophobia
Implied and Visible Drug Use
References to AIDs
References to Grief
Mention of Death & Causes of Death
My Review:
Despite a feel-good soundtrack and gorgeous set, the book unfortunately fell short for this production, resulting in a disjointed and occasionally repetitive production. Based on the music of KC and the Sunshine Band, Get Down Tonight certainly delivers an upbeat and catchy performance, but past the hits it includes, the overall story left me feeling confused and unimpressed. From repeated moments about how Harry does not want to do a part of his life and Dee encourages him that he has to, to other jumps in the story and plot gaps, I left feeling that the book would need reworking to be able to fully engage me in what I am watching. Unfortunately, jukebox shows also increase the likelihood of unwanted audience participation, and this was something I experienced with the people sitting next to me randomly singing along throughout the performance. This led me to wonder if including a please do not sing announcement in the pre-show announcement could help to resolve or at least minimise this issue.
On a positive note, however, the cast were all sensational to watch and their vocal performances were enjoyable and complemented the music that they were performing. The cast is made up of Ross Harmon (Harry), Adam Taylor (Orly), Paige Fenlon (Dee) and Annabelle Terry (Gina), with an ensemble comprising Aaron Archer, Eve Drysdale, Rachael Kendall Brown and Finley Oliver. The choreography by Lisa Stevens was brilliantly executed by the cast, especially the ensemble, and I enjoyed the incorporation of more disco-esque moves in order to immerse the audience into the time which the show is set. I also felt that the choreography and, in turn, the performance of it was well-suited to the musical and enhanced rather than competed with the songs. Paige Fenton has a gorgeous voice, which shone during her solos and was such a pleasure to listen to. I also thought that her characterisation was really good and countered Ross Harmon as Harry well. Ross Harmon was great at leading the show and carrying the story of Harry’s life, which was the main focus of this show. Ross Harmon has a fabulous voice and was able to showcase his range from disco-style music to softer ballads throughout. Annabelle Terry brought a fun and upbeat energy to this show through her character, Gina, and I really enjoyed her rendition of ‘Are You In His Arms Tonight’ as I felt that it really complemented her voice and showcased her talent. Adam Taylor was perfect as Orly, capturing the party-going nature of this character whilst also shining in the more heartfelt and emotionally charged scenes. His rendition of ‘Wrap Your Arms Around Me Tonight’ was upbeat and enjoyable to listen to, and Adam Taylor was able to make good use of this solo in order to further his portrayal and character development. The set designed by Bretta Gerecke was well-fitted to the production, and I really liked the incorporation of vinyls throughout the set and small movable set pieces in order to differentiate location, memories, etc. This was another strong suit of the production and further gave me hope for this show's future should the book be revisited and the show reworked. I also thought the lighting design by Jai Morjaria further complemented the show and pushed the disco atmosphere that this show had into the audience, creating a feeling of immersion, which was added to during the curtain call and other scenes when cast members would walk and perform around the auditorium. Sound design by Chris Whybrow was balanced, and the music did not overpower the vocals or vice versa, which allowed for clarity when listening to the show, and this was especially helpful to me as I did not know the majority of the featured songs going in.
I hope to see this show return in the future, should the book be reviewed, as I do believe it has the potential to be a wonderful show; it just currently does not meet that expectation for me.
Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)
- AnxiousTheatregoer
