Footloose and fancy free on stage
THE STORY of an upbeat city boy who just wants to dance in a small repressed American town comes to a Coventry theatre next month.
Gareth Gates and Maureen Nolan will be getting in the mood for dancing when they star in Footloose: The Musical at the Belgrade Theatre.
Following an acclaimed 2016 UK Tour, the worldwide smash hit musical bursts onto the stage from Tuesday to Saturday June 13 to 17.
Based on the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, the show tells the story of Ren who gets the townsfolk in a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned up on their feet.
Featuring dazzling dance and electrifying classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, and the Oscar-nominated songs Let’s Hear it for the Boy and the unforgettable title track, the youthful spirit of Footloose: The Musical is set to take the world by storm once again in this brand new production.
The soundtrack went on top album charts all over the world, selling in excess of 17 million copies.
The stage version first opened on Broadway in 1998 where it ran for 709 performances, with a London production following in 2006, opening at the Novello Theatre following a UK Tour.
Rising to fame through the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2001, Gareth Gates went on to sell more than five million records and his version of Unchained Melody is the third best-selling single of the Noughties.
Gareth said he was a “big fan” of the film and plays Willard, the character who can’t dance.
“To be honest, that suits me down to the ground! He’s a cowboy from Beaumont. It’s a really small town in the United States where everybody knows everybody’s business, and dancing is banned.
“Ren arrives in Beaumont and shakes everything up; he teaches Willard how to dance.
“Willard is a goofy character, and this is brand new for me. I am really enjoying playing someone completely different. I like to challenge myself.”
He said he remembered watching Footloose “quite a bit growing up”.
“It’s a classic,” he said. “I actively went after this job; the role really appealed to me. I’m playing the comedy role which is a type of character that I’ve never played before, and it’s great.”
His other stage credits include Les Misérables, Legally Blonde and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
Maureen Nolan has been singing with her sisters since she was nine years old, when they became one of Europe’s first girl bands, The Nolans.
Best known for their smash hit single I’m in the Mood for Dancing, The Nolans enjoyed phenomenal record sales worldwide.
She plays Vi Moore, the put-upon wife of the authoritarian minister Shaw Moore.
On stage, Maureen has played Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the West End and on tour to critical acclaim.
Directed by Racky Plews, it features new and original music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and choreography by Matthew Cole.
It is adapted for the stage by Walter Bobbie and Dean Pitchford from his original screenplay.
Fot tickets for Footloose: The Musical call the box office on 024 7655 3055 or visit www.belgrade.co.uk.