An Officer and a Gentleman – Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring

Emma Williams and Jonny Fines in An Officer and a Gentleman at the Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring. Picture: Manuel Harlan

An Officer and a Gentleman continues at the Milton Keynes Theatre until 14 July 2018 before continuing touring.

Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Based on the 1982 original film starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger, An Officer and a Gentlemantouches down in the Milton Keynes Theatre as part of its first national tour.

Upon entering the auditorium we are greeted by a visual smorgasbord of all things 1980s projected onto designer Michael Taylor’s impressively versatile set, dynamically reeling through stills and clips of Reagan, Grace Jones, a Thriller-era Michael Jackson and ET.

The technique may feel a little overt but the tone is effectively set. This isn’t simply a production revisiting ‘that one film’ for ‘that one scene’, it’s a gloriously camp, humorously sincere love letter to the era.

Featuring the music of Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Wilde and, of course, Joe Cocker, the story follows the trials and tribulations of Navy Aviation Officer candidate Zack Mayo (true triple threat Jonny Fines) in his quest to achieve his dream of becoming a jet pilot and his fiery relationship with factory worker Paula Pokrifki (a powerhouse Emma Williams).

However trite and dated this set-up appears now, the plot plays out in a surprising level of depth and detail through a colourful cast of characters, with subplots ranging from Zack’s relationship with his deadbeat, morally bankrupt father Byron (Darren Bennett) to the story of Casey Seegar (Keisha Atwell) and her own challenges achieving her ambition during Naval training, plus the handling of some particularly troubling themes, sensitively directed by Nikolai Foster, in Act II.

Unfortunately, Officer falls down in its choice and sheer amount of music. For every song that’s a well-chosen, genuine service to the plot (highlights include a strident, anthemic ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ and a spiralling, haunting rendition of ‘Kids in America’) there’s another two uninspired choices shoe-horned in to throw off the pacing.

The inclusion of Act II opener ‘Livin’ On a Prayer is unimaginatively justified through its setting in a karaoke bar, a foolproof fallback for many a jukebox show, and a bizarre blink-and-you’ll-miss-it ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ comes and goes as if it was never required in the first place.

Most musically amusing is the tantalising transitional music played through every scene change and incidental moment, a baiting nod to the inevitable ‘Up Where We Belong’. This being said, the production can’t be faulted for its self-awareness, and when the iconic moment comes as newly graduated Zack in his Naval whites sweeps Paula off her feet and off into the sunset, the electricity elicited from the crowd feels thoroughly well deserved.

Overlong but never boring, An Officer and A Gentleman is a mixed bag. Its gender politics frequently prove themselves dated, with Paula and friend Lynette’s (Jessica Daley) roles revolving solely around their boyfriends, though these pitfalls are somewhat inescapable when adapting a film of the period.

What it lacks in social awareness it makes up for in sheer exuberance and charming cheesiness. By curtain call you’d be hard pressed not to find yourself with several earworms and your spirits lifted… (up where they belong).

Alex Chard