Saturday Night Fever – Peacock Theatre

Saturday Night Fever continues at the Peacock Theatre, London until 26 March 2022.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Saturday Night Fever burst onto cinema screens in 1977 with rave reviews. Given an X-Rating on its initial release, its gritty storyline of young men escaping humdrum lives in sexual adventure and disco dancing contributed to the explosion of 80s disco and made John Travolta an international star. His white-suited Tony Manero became an icon, his moves emulated by hordes of young men. The Bee Gees soundtrack spawned a string of hits, still played on dance floors 45 years later.

Any stage re-creation of the film has one big hurdle to overcome. An actor who can obliterate our memory of Travolta. Director and producer Bill Kenwright strikes gold with Richard Winsor. Strutting, thrusting, swivelling his pelvis, Winsor dominates the stage effortlessly. A varied career encompassing training as a ballet dancer and stints in popular television soaps and Matthew Bourne’s dance company, he dances with passion and style, his classical training submerged in the disco choreography from Bill Deamer.

A capable actor, he conveys all the hopes and frustrations of the Brooklyn hardware store assistant not daring to consider a life beyond winning his local dance competition to make it to performing at the discos of Manhattan. Onstage almost throughout the two-hour playing time, it’s a star performance, and when he dances it’s thrilling.

With a great supporting cast, the production may not have the gritty realism of the film but doesn’t shy away from the sex and violence. Jasmin Colangelo is touching as Annette. So desperately in love with Tony but gently unrequited, and sexually exploited by the gang, she gets to sing ‘If I Can’t Have You’.

Olivia Fines as Stephanie dances up a storm and shows us the ambitions of a woman who wants to be a part of the Manhattan elite but feels out of her depth. Unlike the film, Stephanie also gets a song, ‘What Kind of Fool’.

As Tony’s mother and father, Melody Jones and Phillip Aiden convey all the frustration of unfulfilled lives, their hopes pinned on Frank Junior’s priesthood shattered by his decision to leave the church. Marios Nicolaides is excellent as Frank Junior, abandoning the calling foisted on him. And Kevin O’Dwyer is poignant as the tragic Bobby C, conflicted about doing the right thing by his pregnant girlfriend.

DJ Monty is Faizal Jaye, managing to catch the eye from his perch high up onstage, dancing along with the ensemble below and singing his heart out. Luca Rapisarda and Celeste Zollino are the dance competition to Tony and Stephanie and dazzle in their Latin-inspired disco routine.

Kenwright’s production places the dancing at its heart, with crowd-pleasing group dances led by Winsor, but never to the detriment of the storyline. With touring in mind, Gary McCann’s set, all scaffolding, mirrors and mirror balls, conjures up the 2001 discotheque, with lighting by Nick Richings.

Deamer’s choreography manages to wring a surprising number of variations on disco dance moves, the big leaps and triple spins from the ballet world may not be authentic but are adapted so they never jar or seem out of period.

The band led by Scott Alder re-creates all the pulsing excitement of 80s disco, with the ‘Bee Gees’ singing from a gantry at the top of the set. Sung by Jake Byrom, James Hudson and Oliver Thomson, some of the gentle falsetto of the originals may have been lost to the ferocity of the amplification, but the songs capture the feel of the period. All the hits are there, ‘Staying Alive’, ‘Night Fever’, ‘Words’, ‘Jive Talkin’’, ‘More Than a Woman’, ‘How Deep Is Your Love’ and many more. Nineteen to be precise.

Saturday Night Fever has a feel good/night out enjoyment factor quite different to the film, but well worth experiencing. Whether you’re a disco fan, a Bee Gees fan, a Strictly Fan, or just want a night of testosterone-fuelled dancing, head for the Peacock Theatre. You won’t be disappointed.

Leon Ferguson