MATT WILLIS, star of Busted and I’m A Celebrity winner, will headline his first national theatre tour in FOOTLOOSE – THE DANCE MUSICAL. Willis will play Chuck in Footloose, the acclaimed dance musical based on the iconic 1984 movie. Read more …
Hot on the heels of two triumphant West End seasons and four hugely successful tours FOOTLOOSE - THE DANCE MUSICAL cuts loose on its 5th major UK tour and opens at the Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre on Monday 14th February.
Playing Ren, a role that launched the careers of Kevin Bacon and Derek Hough, will be star of the future MAX MILNER. The cast also include STEVEN PINDER as Reverend Shaw Moore. Steven is best known for playing Max Farnham in the long running soap Brookside, for which he won a Manchester Evening News Award for Best Actor.
2011 is also the year that the highly anticipated film remake of FOOTLOOSE starring Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell is released in cinemas.
When KEVIN BACON’S too-cool-for-school teenager Ren McCormack dared to dance his way out of Chicago and into small town Bomont in the movie FOOTLOOSE, an icon for the 80s was born. Kevin Bacon became a global star and the film’s title track went from gold to platinum to multi-platinum in record time, spawning one of the most famous guitar intros of all time! Cultural icon Sarah Jessica Parker was cast alongside Bacon in this much-loved film phenomenon and went on to enjoy great success.
In 1998 Broadway lauded the hit movie live on stage as a musical spectacular. Written by Dean Pitchford (screenplay and lyrics for the film) and Walter Bobbie, FOOTLOOSE - THE DANCE MUSICAL tells the story of city boy Ren who has to move to a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned. Life in small-town Bomont is peaceful but Ren, breaking every taboo in the book, is determined to bring dance back to the heart of a town held back by the memory of a tragedy.
FOOTLOOSE - THE DANCE MUSICAL thrilled West End audiences with its extended run at the Novello Theatre London in 2006 and following a third UK tour played a 2007 season at The Playhouse London. During that time the stunning and infectious choreography garnered critical acclaim, there is just no stopping this smash hit musical!
Worth seeing just for the brilliantly charismatic lead performance by Max Milner.
All the upbeat numbers come with step-perfect routines with the freakishly talented ensemble dancing to the splendid band. If you enjoy upbeat musicals at all, don't miss this production. Footloose? Faultless.
Max Milner is a revelation. With the confidence of a young Tom Cruise (think Risky Business) and the moves of a pumped-up Billy Elliot as new boy in town Ren McCormack, he captures the conviction and vulnerability of the pivotal part.
The audience were out of their seats and shaking their booty as the cast brought the curtain down on a night of cheesy, feel good fun.
Despite its weaknesses, Footloose does what it needs to: everyone enjoys a girls' night out, even if they don’t remember much of it the next morning.
Footloose--musical stars Steven Pinder and Matt Willis speak to The Hour
Having great fun at fifty
Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh from Monday February 14, 2011, until Saturday February 19, 2011. More info: www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk
His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen from Monday March 21, 2011, until Saturday March 26, 2011. More info: www.hmtaberdeen.com
King's Theatre, Glasgow from Monday April 25, 2011, until Saturday April 30, 2011. More info: www.theambassadors.com/kings/
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