Giz Giz Youth Theatre celebrates their 40th anniversary as Aberdeen’s longest running youth theatre company with the hit musical, ‘Footloose’, based on the classic 1984 film of the same name.
Footloose follows Ren McCormack, a feisty teenager whose city life is turned upside down when he and his mother leave Chicago for backwater Bomont. As Ren settles into his new life far from the city, he soon discovers that dancing is outlawed at the hands of Reverend Shaw Moore, after a devastating tragedy rocked the town 5 years prior. However, as Ren befriends Ariel, the seemingly unruly and misunderstood daughter of the Reverend and the ditzy but charming, Willard, he begins a campaign to abolish the law against dancing. Reverend Shaw and Ren continue to clash throughout however, discover that they do have something in common – a man who has lost his son and a young man who has lost his father. The classic film was adapted for stage in 1998 and clearly remains a firm audience favourite.
Giz Giz Youth Theatre was founded by the late Annie Inglis (MBE). The company have produced a variety of productions, including High School Musical and The Sound of Music in recent years with a company vastly ranging in age, all the way from 8 to 18! Giz Giz are no strangers to providing the foundations for tomorrow’s stars, with previous members progressing onto work in the industry including recent panto and River City star, Joyce Falconer and Olivier nominee, Amy Lennox.
Josh McPherson leads the company of 35 as the headstrong, Ren. He does so with ease and confidence. His skills as a dancer shine from the opening number but particularly during numbers like ‘I Can’t Stand Still’ and ‘I’m Free/Heaven Help Me’. By his side is Lilly Bannerman as the gutsy reverend’s daughter, Ariel. Bannerman’s vocals and stage presence are nothing short of perfection, as she demonstrates great contrast in her character, showing a softer and more vulnerable side to Ariel. Their duet, ‘Almost Paradise’ (also featured in the 1984 film) was a particular highlight both vocally but also complimented well with lighting design by Granite City Events.
Corey Adam plays the highly strung, Reverend Shaw Moore. Adam has previously played comic roles during his time in Giz Giz but this was a role he certainly thrived in. His vocal performance in ‘Heaven Help Me’ was effortless and his characterisation, dialogue delivery and physicality were strong – contrasting well with his wife, Vi, played beautifully and delicately by Erin Mehigan. Mehigan delivers a heartfelt performance and her vocals were given many the opportunity to shine throughout the show but particularly during her solo, ‘Can You Find It In Your Heart?’ and during the moving, ‘Learning To Be Silent’ sung by Mehigan and Bannerman as mother and daughter, along with Gemma Murdoch as Ethel, Ren’s mother. The trio captured the vulnerability of the three women beautifully and their harmonies were simply pitch perfect.
Nathan Batchu stars as the charming, loveable, and downright hilarious, Willard. Batchu was a complete scene stealer with seemingly effortless physical comedy and superb character choices from the first moment he stepped on stage. These skills were put to good use and highlighted in his solo number ‘Mama Says’. He also did an excellent job in convincing the audience that his character couldn’t dance – although it was clear quite quickly that we were very wrong indeed!
Ciara Hendry delivers an excellent performance as Rusty, Ariel’s quirky, overly chatty best friend and Willard’s love interest. She compliments whomever she is opposite with ease and her incredible skills as a dancer were showcased well, particularly during Act Two opener, ‘Still Rockin’ and ‘Let’s Hear It For The Boy’. She serves as part of a comedy trio with Emily Law as Urleen and Charlie Pocock-Fisher as Wendy Jo. The girls are sassy, incredibly watchable and an absolute highlight of the production, with their numbers, ‘Somebody’s Eyes’ and Bonnie Tyler’s hit, ‘Holding Out For A Hero’, led by Bannerman, again, as Ariel. Logan McKerron also stars as Ariel’s threatening boyfriend, Chuck Cranston and his solo, ‘The Girl Gets Around’, complimented his vocal abilities.
Like any show, the ensemble is crucial and they certainly had plenty to do in this production. Along with a number of featured roles, the ensemble were dancing their way throughout with energetic choreography by Hayley Brown, whilst also doing their best to keep up with the incredibly wordy score.
Director, Lauren Jane Ritchie and Assistant Director, Dylan Shearer (who also played the booming Coach Dunbar) clearly guided the cast well through the fast-paced dialogue and story. Musical Direction from Matthew Tosh and his band of 7 superb local musicians were pretty much nonstop throughout, delivering the punchy score. Set design by Aurora Scenic was large in scale and though simple, very effective and utilized well throughout, particularly when supporting a large cast in ensemble numbers. A special mention must go to Jane Ritchie for costume, who somehow managed to source 30+ pairs of cowboy boots for the company – and they certainly looked fabulous!
In comparison to recent touring productions, Giz Giz successfully manages to remain authentic to the story of Footloose, without relying on creation of an almost “caricature” of the 80s time period. The company overall delivers a strong performance and it is clear that everyone – from ages 8 to 18 – had enormous amounts of fun during their 5 month rehearsal period and now, show week. Ultimately, that is the very essence of youth theatre.
Almost 40 years on from the film’s original release and 25 years since the Broadway production premiered, the story of loss, acceptance and love still had the audience up on their feet – with a mega mix of the shows highlights as a finale – simply proving that sometimes, the only way to get through life is by cutting loose…Footloose for that matter!
Giz Giz Youth Theatre present ‘Footloose’ at the Tivoli Theatre, Aberdeen from 12th to 15th July 2023, nightly at 7pm.
Get your tickets here – https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/footloose-2/#book
Theatre Scotland 
Leave a comment