Ah! The 80’s. Decade of the perm, cheesy songs and shoulder pads! For those of us who were brought up in the 80’s, we look back at it with a degree of fondness (and a sprinkling of embarrassment too!) and we remember the fashion, the music and the movies.
One such movie that captured the imagination of a generation was the 1980 Alan Parker classic, Fame. Set in a New York Performing Arts School, this film gave us Irene Cara and it's the reason that dancing on cars became a thing! The musical version follows a similar vein with a new soundtrack and both old and new characters; however you don’t need to have watched the film to appreciate this production.
The Sutton Arts Theatre in Sutton Coldfield is a great small theatre with their own company made up of some very talented performers and their new production of Steve Margoshes and Jacques Levy’s musical is an absolute triumph. I watch a lot of performances, both amateur and professional, and sometimes I find I forget which is which. This was a professional performance, thanks to its stunning cast, clever direction and creative design.
We follow the stories and the class of ’84 as they bid to be the next big thing. The story includes culture clashes, diva’s, sex craved young men, drugs and mortality - think High School Musical with attitude! The dance numbers, choreographed by Anna Forster, are slick and energetic and the music, conducted by Tom Brookes, was so good that I didn’t realise until the interval that they hadn't used a recording!
Emily Armstrong and Dexter Whitehead direct a very watchable cast - there were no spare parts on this stage. Every single performer gave 100% and it helped to bring the audience along with the story.
Stand out performances include Sarah Riches (Company) as Serena Katz and Collette Forsythe (Sunset Boulevard) as the strict but caring Principle Esther Sherman. My star of the show award, however, must go to Walsall’s own Phoebe Jackson (Hairspray) as Carmen Diaz. Remember her name - you will definitely see her again in the future! She had a voice that wouldn’t be out of place on a West End Stage and totally owned the part.
All in all, this was a superb example of amateur theatre at its best. If you haven’t been to the Sutton Arts Theatre before, go and check it, and this production, out. The best non-professional show I’ve seen this year!!
Fame runs at Sutton Arts Theatre until Saturday 30th June. For tickets, or more information, head to suttonartstheatre.co.uk
