From the Producers of Dreamboats
and Petticoats comes Save The Last
Dance For Me; a jukebox musical billed as ‘the greatest summer holiday of
their lives’.
The show is set in Luton and Lowestoft in 1963 and centres
around the two sisters Jennifer and Marie and their holiday romances. X Factor
Alumni Lola Saunders takes the role of elder sister Jennifer and gives a strong
performance in her musical theatre debut. A confident and ballsy singer and
accomplished mover she towers over Antony Costa from boy band Blue who shares
the top billing with her.
Costa proves to be a far better actor than he is singer,
with his voice lacking strength on some numbers though remaining pleasant
enough for the material he’s given. Musically, the show follows a similar vein
throughout with no real shift in pace or tone throughout the 29 (plus finale!) songs. The sheer volume of songs meant that the
audience longed for something different and the numbers, though sung nicely,
played exquisitely and pitch perfectly mixed, rolled into each other.
Clearly this was a show for those who like their theatre as
bland as their food, but even the most easy going of audiences must have longed
for a bit of drama and a hint of jeopardy to kick-start proceedings.
It’s hard to knock a show so carefully crafted and performed
adequately. No cast member excelled nor did anyone let the side down; but it
was all just too gentle and tame to get excited about. Give this cast a show with 9 less songs, a
better script and more meaty characters and then you’ll have a show on your
hands.
Sadly much of Save The
Last Dance For Me sailed by without leaving much of a lasting impression.
If this was the ‘best summer of their lives’, I’m glad I missed the 60s.
Review by Andy Edmeads
Rating: ★★
