Review: Dirty Dancing (New Theatre Oxford)
It’s hard to believe the original film version of Dirty Dancing turns 40 in 2027. There remains a huge fanbase for the show which makes it obvious why the staged version is currently touring to packed theatres both in the UK and elsewhere. I was pleased to be invited to review the current tour at the New Theatre in Oxford.
The moment the music began the energy level in the auditorium rose, and not just on the stage. The majority of the audience appeared to be anticipating every crucial moment in the show, waiting for certain lines and character interactions. This reaction makes it obvious why the stage adaption mostly stays in line with the film. It’s clearly what audiences of this particular show want.
The show takes us back to Kellerman’s resort during the summer of 1963, when the Houseman family went on holiday expecting to take part in the on-site entertainment and relax, but fate had other ideas the second the youngest daughter clapped eyes on the leader of the entertainment team.
The current cast includes Charlie Varlet as Frances “Baby” Houseman and Joel Benjamin as Johnny Castle. It must be incredibly difficult to find the balance between making these characters feel fresh while simultaneously giving viewers the kind of facsimile of the original that is adored widely. I greatly admire the ability of a performer who is a talented dancer to be able to portray a young girl with no dancing experience. As for Joel Benjamin’s Johnny, the audience reaction made it very clear he was doing a good job at stepping into Patrick Swayze’s shoes. (Although part of me did fear for his safety if he did decide to go to stage door.) Having previously seen Joel Benjamin vastly underused in Hercules, it was good to see him in a lead role.
Similar to the performance of Baby’s initial dancing, the character’s sister Lisa was brought to life by India Chadwick with a particularly grating off key rendition of Lisa’s Hula… which again the audience adored.
The ensemble dancing was skilled, energetic and looked effortless. Ellie Ferguson was an absolute stand out as Penny Johnson. Her dancing is, without a doubt, sensational - as was her whole performance.
A positive for me personally was the addition of new elements to the stage production fleshing out the older Houseman’s backstory a bit. I particularly enjoyed their duet, and felt that the characters Dr Jake Houseman (Lynden Edwards) and Marjorie Houseman (Taryn Sudding) were played convincingly.
Asher Forth was well cast as Billy Kostecki and - a highlight for me - his vocals were superb and really suited the songs he led.
The dancing is obviously a big feature of this show because of the nature of the story, with choreography by Austin Wilks ensuring key moments remain familiar to the film but also are striking in their own right.
Ultimately, the levels of nostalgia watching the familiar narrative of Dirty Dancing unfold makes for a fun night out at the theatre, guaranteed to leave you feeling energised when you leave. It’s a fast-paced, uplifting production, which will particularly resonate with fans of the film.
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Dirty Dancing is at New Theatre Oxford until Saturday 10 October. It then continues on tour into 2027.
If you would like to see my curtain call photographs from this and other shows, please visit my Instagram. (Photos from the curtain call of Dirty Dancing will be posted soon)
I was gifted tickets for this show in exchange for an honest review.
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