Originally published by L.S. Media. March 9th 2011.

Cast: Max Milner, Carys Gray, Steven Pinder, Karen Ascoe, Lorna Want, Jodie Jacobs, Keisha Amponsa Banson, Tanya Robb, Matt Willis, Daniel Smith, Adam C. Booth, Giovanni Spano, Michael Palmer.

Footloose! The very word brings up images of one of the great teen movies of the 1980’s. Reason in the face of oppression for which any teenager of the time would have identified with, a stunning soundtrack and a great cast made the film a smash in box offices both sides of the Atlantic.

Unusually for a film of the time, and especially one primed for the stage setting, it took its time to transfer from the silver screen to the demanding world of theatre. Finally in 1998 it was performed in Broadway and now after a long wait, Liverpool audiences have had a glimpse of into production that has been a worldwide smash.

The story revolves around the central theme of a young man being dragged from his home in Chicago where he is free to dance his troubles away to the middle of nowhere, where due to an accident five years previous, the town had banned dancing and Rock music. As a square peg in an oppressive hole you would find it hard to fit in, but as the night drew on the ecstatic audience were clapping and cheering their way through each number that drew the town to a state of realism and the ability to look at itself properly without the veil of grief that had hung over it.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was Matt Willis as local bad boy Chuck Cranston; his testosterone fuelled performance was a far cry from his days as one third of the Pop/Rock band Busted. Matt exuded a subtle confidence on stage and it seems that the bright talent he obviously had as a younger man has flourished with the added pressure that theatre work demands on the body and soul. He worked well with both the younger leads Max Milner and Lorna Want as the hero of the tale Ren McCormack and the wilful, kind hearted daughter of Reverend Moore.

In the few short years Lorna has been on stage she has racked up credits to be proud of and on the basis of her performance it won’t be long before other productions are knocking on her door to continue the fine work she has already done.

The Liverpool Empire continues to impress with its hosting of the immense spectacle, its stage was built for nights like these!

Ian D. Hall