Having never watched John Badham’s 1977 cult classic featuring John Travolta, I was not sure what to expect when I sat in my seat for Chris Cuming’s Saturday Night Fever. After an evening being transported back to the glitz and glam of a 70s discotheque, I know it is my next watch.

Transported back to the glitz and glam of a 70s discotheque

WBOS is an amateur theatre company based in West Bromwich, but nothing about their performance (bar it’s technical term) was amateur. Being led by a professional director and dancing to professional choreography (by Claire Flavell) is a huge feat, but every performer on the stage rose to the challenge. Director Chris Cuming doted in the programme, ‘I hope that […] you will be impressed that this is
the company’s hobby,’ and he is right, I was impressed.

The show centres on Tony Manero (Olly Derham) who still lives at home with his parents in Brooklyn, New York. Tony’s family is dysfunctional, he’s stuck in a dead-end job, and his only escape are his weekends spent at the local disco. He meets his unlikely match in Stephanie (Harriet Hommers), and the pair train towards a dance competition; they hope to break away from their old lives with the prize money, but fall in love instead.

Tony is a complex character, both in movement and emotional intensity. Derham’s grit and determination to the role is evident, and he has clearly learnt Tony inside and out. Tony’s parents – Frank Manero (Greg Yates) and Flo Manero (Sarah Moors) – should not be overlooked either. They perfectly capture the intense dynamic between doting parents feeling the pressure of tradition.

Tony’s fading catholic immigrant identity is violently juxtaposed with the temptations of night life and partying to excess, and Olly perfectly captures the psychological torment of this. He is good at breaking the fourth wall.

The band wholly made this show

While the show is littered with anguish and shaped by social tension and tragedy, the glitz and glamour are the highlight. The entire audience were struggling to sit still, especially for the big numbers ‘Disco Inferno,’ ‘Night Fever,’ and ‘Stayin Alive.’ Candy (Amy Sandford) lit up the entire room every time she was on stage; she is a star and her vocals belong on a stage at least double the size. The same can be said for Harriet Homers and Holly White (Annette) whose vocals are equally powerful, and poignant when they need to be.

On a side note, the American accents throughout the production are exceptional, especially by Joey (Theo Pitter). So much praise is owed to Musical Director Ian Room and the band. In live theatre the band is so often over-looked. In amateur theatre, the band can often be eliminated altogether to cut costs. The band wholly makes this show, and I really feel like I have been transported to a ‘Disco Inferno,’ not least because of an ample number of go-go boots and flares.

Choreography was polished to perfection

The staging is impressive, and I am impressed by the versatility of the square dance floor that is a dance studio, a kitchen, and a club all at once. The big disco scenes based in 2001 Odyssey are the standout for me, but the cast are equally good at delivering tender scenes as they were performing the big dance numbers. The choreography is polished to perfection, and the attention to detail in
every dance is mesmerising.

Nearing the end, Chloe Lowe, Jacob Yeomans, Beth Logan and Martyn Davies perform with the confidence of well-versed professionals in the dance competition. They crowd cheers as we all sit on the edge of our seats watching their complex sequences and lifts.

If I had to choose my favourite moment in the whole show, it would be the moment Tony truly finds himself. After winning the dance competition, recognised himself to be due to racial bias, he gives his first-place trophy to the Puerto-Rican dance couple; this shows a real defining moment for Tony’s maturity. Tony and Stephanie get their happy ever after – but we all knew it was bound to happen.

Dust off your go-go boots and head down to the Grand for a night of affordable theatre; you will not be disappointed!

Rating: 4/5

Saturday Night Fever plays at the Wolverhampton Grand till 9th May. Buy tickets here.

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