Review: Dirty Dancing at Sunderland Empire

Federico Bellone’s adaptation of the iconic Dirty Dancing has come to Sunderland Empire. Set in 1963, we follow the story of Frances “Baby” Houseman (played by Charlie Varlet) who meets handsome dance teacher Johnny Castle (played by Joel Benjamin) and quickly gets absorbed into his world. This production brings back famous songs such as “Hungry Eyes”, “Hey! Baby”, “The Time of my Life” and others.

Dirty Dancing (Photo by Kate Pattinson)

The choreography by Austin Wilks was remarkably performed by the main cast and the ensemble. Particularly, Benjamin and Varlet’s last dance to “The Time of my Life”  was one of the best ones in the show. This success can also be attributed to their intense on-stage chemistry, which they maintained throughout the show.

Additionally, besides Varlet’s great dancing abilities, she also exhibited a great performance through her portrayal of Baby in playful and light-hearted moments, as well as in more serious and dramatic moments. For instance, her playfulness and humor in the scene where Johnny teaches Baby how to dance is very well contrasted by her sternness and emotion when Baby confronts her father after confessing about her relationship with Johnny.

Johnny and Penny (Photo by Kate Pattinson)

Another great addition to the production was the band that played on stage throughout the show as it gave a more intimate and old-school feel to the musical, which wouldn’t have been achieved if they just played the music out of the speakers. What also stood out was the fact that they were not only playing from the back of the stage but actively participating in the story and being acknowledged by the main actors which made us feel like they were part of the story and not just a prop.

Overall, this show was an enjoyable experience by a talented cast and creatives who revived and brought the joy and passion of the 1987 movie to the stage.