Saturday Night Fever danced its way to The Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent last night for the opening night and what a show it was! If you grew up in the late 70s/early 80s then this is such a nostalgic show which will bring back memories and get you dancing.
Saturday Night Fever follow the story of Tony Manero, an Italian-American as he embarks on a reckless yet thrilling road to dancing success with the help of his dance partner Stephanie amidst coming to terms with his family conflict and personal tragedy.
Tony although a brilliant dancer is stuck working in a paint shop in 70s Brooklyn and this is portrayed so well by Jack Wilcox. It is a hard to fill the shoes of John Travolta but Jack’s swagger on stage and his hip-thrusting dance moves are enough. He gets the crowd going wild with their constant oohing and aahing whenever he struts on stage and especially when he gets changed into his white suit. Rebekah Bryant plays Stephanie so gracefully and she is such a fantastic singer with a great voice and actor. Her dance movements are also fluid and so very coordinated.
You could tell that the high-energy cast were pro-dancers and as they moved so smoothly and in unison. A special mention has to be given to Bill Deamer for his choreography for bringing each song alive through precision dancing. I could see the dance references to Michael Jackson, Tina Turner as well as Steps in some of the moves.
The production pays homage to the 1977 John Travolta’s classic disco movie with some of the best-selling Bee-Gees soundtrack, sung live by Bee Gees lookalikes AJ Jenks, Drew Ferry and Oliver Thomson and supported by a live band who are on a raised platform on stage.
Huge shout out goes to Nick Richings for his cleaver use of lights on stage. I also loved the angled giant mirror on stage which reflected the illuminated dance floor, disco balls and made the stage look a lot bigger.
Although all the cast members are top-notch and superbly talented, Harry Goodson-Bevan just shone through with his portrayal of Bobby C. He had this charismatic charm about him and the crowd adored him.
It was also breathtaking to see the whole theatre transform into a disco soon as the glitter balls came down for the songs Disco Inferno and Night Fever. The show also featured other popular songs from the movie soundtrack including Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever, Tragedy and More Than a Woman amongst others.
Despite the fact that the show was light-hearted, it also touched on sensitive topics such as rape, violent behaviour, alcoholism and suicide which gave some depth to its adult themed story line.
The fast-paced nostalgia-fuelled show ended on a high with the crowd buzzing and on their feet giving the cast a standing ovation. So if you want to be visually mesmerised by spinning glitterballs, Bee Gees tunes and be swept off your feet dancing the night away then don’t miss Saturday Night Fever which will be showing at The Regent Theatre until Saturday, 29 October.
Cast Details
Jack Wilcox – Tony Manero
Rebekah Bryant – Stephanie
Harry Goodson-Bevan – Bobby C
James Brice – Gus
Liam Morris – Double J
Dominic Gore – Joey
Billie Hardy – Annette
Tosca Fischer – Connie
Emily Bolland Linda
Phillip Aiden – Frank Senior
Marios Nicolaides – Frank Junior
Melody Jones – Flo Manero
Faizal Jaye – DJ Monty
Yiota Theo – ensemble
Ashley Luke Lloyd – ensemble
Anthony Starr – ensemble
Joshua Clayton – ensemble
Helen Gulston – ensemble
James Cohen – ensemble
Drew Ferry, Oliver Thomson and AJ Jenks – Bee Gees Singers
Saturday Night Fever is produced and directed by Bill Kenwright, with choreography by Bill Deamer, design by Gary McCann, lighting by Nick Richings, and sound by Dan Samson. The stage adaptation is by Robert Stigwood in collaboration with Bill Oakes.
How much do the tickets cost?
Tickets are priced from £13 to £65.
How do I book tickets to watch Saturday Night Fever?
Tickets are now on sale and available from the Box Office, by calling 0844 871 7615 or by visiting ATG’s website here.
How long is the show for and what are the timings?
Estimated running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes (including interval). The show opened last night and will run until Saturday, 29 October 2022. Evening performances will be at 7.30pm with matinee shows on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm. Do visit their website for more details.
Where is The Regent Theatre in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent?
Piccadilly
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 1AP
Tel: 08448717649
About Regent Theatre
The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Constructed in 1929 as a cinema, it is one of several theatres in the city centre and one of two owned by the Ambassador Theatre Group. The building was converted for full-time use as a theatre in 1999, and since then has hosted a number of shows and musicals. The theatre is also the northern base for the Glyndebourne Touring Opera.
Tips / Information
- Masks and Covid passes are not mandatory in the Theatre at the moment
- Ample public car park spaces are available near to the Regent Theatre. The nearby John Street car park is the closest and it closes at 11.30pm while the Pottery Centre carpark charges a fixed rate of £1.50 (after 4pm) and this carpark closes at 12am (midnight)
- Accessibility: On arrival at the theatre there are nine steps leading from the front doors to the foyer. There is a small lift suitable for wheelchairs and buggies
- There is lift access to all levels from the foyer (with an audible announcer)
- There is an infra-red sound enhancement system in the auditorium
- Guide, hearing and other working dogs are welcome in all parts of the theatre, and water is provided for them on request
- Accessible toilets are available
You may also want to read this:
Review: MAMMA MIA! at The Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent
Review: We Will Rock You The Musical at The Regent Theatre
Review: Kevin Clifton’s Burn The Floor at The Regent Theatre
Photo Credit: Regent Theatre/Paul Coltas
18 comments
This looks like such a fun show. Saturday Night Fever is one of my favorite movies AND I love musicals. This is perfect for me!
How smashing!! You would totally love this Beth
I bet this is a great show to see live! I enjoy musicals and so do my boys.
It certainly was a fabulous show to see live, glad to hear that
This is my kinda show – fast and upbeat. I love shows like this.
We could not stop tapping our feet and moving to the beat
I’m so happy that the tickets are on sale now. Gotta hurry and buy those tickets to watch this incredible show. Thank you!
Hope you watch it at The Regent or see where they are headed to next
That sounds like a fun time. I love to go out and see a good show, this looks like a great one.
A great show indeed, perfect for date night
Saturday Night Fever omg…I would love to see it live, I never did!!! This would be an awesome experience….
It certainly was for me, we had a good night out
I will always love the music from SNF. The film was great…seeing it live but be a totally different and exciting experience.
I agree, it was so nostalgic and brought back so many good memories growing up
I love performances that use lighting in an interesting way! This show sounds really lovely, thank you for sharing.
It felt like we were in a disco, no matter where you sat
Saturday night fever is one show I’ve never seen on the stage before. But it sounds like such a fun show, bright and colourful x
It was such an amazing show to watch and one worth going to for sure