Theatre Review: Dirty Dancing - Edinburgh Playhouse ✭✭✭✭✭
Our evening started with a delicious dinner at 'The Boards',
Edinburgh Playhouse's newly renovated restaurant. It has a calm, relaxing
atmosphere, in contrast to the bustling city street outside. You could just
hear the murmurings of excitement from the audience as they arrived into the
beautifully decorated Playhouse foyer, complete with pink Christmas tree
decorations, pink bulbs in the chandeliers and the front of house staff in pink
ties for the occasion.
Dirty Dancing begins with Baby (Jill Winternitz) reflecting
on the summer of 1963, where her family spent a vacation at Kellerman's. As
Baby looks onto the impressive group of dancers, it offers a glimpse into the
delights the evening has in store.
Right from the beginning, the audience were in awe of the
cast’s amazing dancing talent, especially Penny Johnson (Nicky Griffiths) and Johnny
Castle (Paul-Michael Jones). They performed every routine flawlessly, along
with entire cast who injected energy into every step.
The show bares more than a resemblance to its namesake film,
with each character fitting their role. Jones oozes confidence with a Swayze
style swagger. Winternitz captures Baby's innocence when she arrives at
Kellerman’s and conveys the close relationship with her Father, Dr Jake
Houseman (James Coombes). Neil Kellerman (Stefan Menaul), Lisa Houseman (Emilia
Williams), Mr Schumacher (Tony Stansfield) provide slightly more comical
characters that keep the piece light.
Winternitz and Jones work wonderfully together and kept the
audience entertained as their relationship developed, especially during Cry to
Me. The scene was met with cheers and whistles from the audience, who were left
on the edge of their seats as the scene ended with Baby and Johnny, scantily
glad, disappearing off stage.
The creative scenery with its revolving floor and digital
videos projecting backdrops of fields and the lake works really well and allows
for seamless set changes. It also offers a bit of humour during Wipe Out as
Johnny attempts to teach Baby the routine, including the iconic lift. The unquestionable highlight of the show for the audience was when Johnny returned and
delivered the unmistakable line “No-one puts Baby in the corner” and perfectly
performs the dance routine with Baby to Time of your Life.
Not only is Dirty Dancing a love story filled with
traditional and risqué dance routines, it also explores issues such as class,
race and family values which were prevalent at the time and highlighted
throughout the show.
The show exceeded expectations and was well received with
cheers, wolf whistles and applauses. No doubt this audience is one of many who will be having the
time of their lives at the Edinburgh Playhouse this winter.
Review by Mhairi Greer
Dirty Dancing is at the Edinburgh Playhouse until 12th January 2013. For tickets and information visit www.atgtickets.com/Edinburgh
