Hellooo! On Tuesday evening I went to see the UK Tour of Flashdance The Musical at the Grimsby Auditorium in its final week starring Grimsby's own, Joanne Clifton! We booked the tickets a few weeks ago which cost £18 each as we managed to get half price opening night tickets - bargain! My friend Lyndsey (who also has a blog!), her Mum and I were sat in seats 1, 2 and 3 in row K in the circle which were pretty good seats for the price! We were off to the side but not enough for it to be a problem and the seats were comfortable enough but didn't have a lot of legroom however, the row behind us had a lot more legroom so I think it varies depending on the row.
Flashdance The Musical was set in the 80's however, it didn't feel outdated and overall, I really enjoyed it! The sets were simple but effective and suited the show well as they didn't detract attention from the performers. I loved the variety and use of lighting throughout the show although at one point, there were some very bright lights flashing at the audience that were a little headache-inducing. The sound felt a little inconsistent on Joanne but aside from that, the sound was really good and I also really liked the band!
I enjoyed the story and the characters within the show. I loved the music throughout the production as there was an interesting mix of songs in a more musical theatre style (e.g. A Million to One, Here and Now) along with recognisable 80's classics (e.g. I Love Rock and Roll, Gloria, What a Feeling). I loved the ending to Act 1 however, it felt a little disjointed from the scenes leading up to it and Act 2 began VERY suddenly, earning a jump from near enough the entire audience. Also, Flashdance The Musical had to have the longest curtain call I've ever seen! I loved the medley though and the entire auditorium was on their feet which was great to see! Oh and I grabbed a house programme for £3.50 and a tour brochure for £5!
Onto the cast! As far as I know, we had the full Grimsby* cast with Joanne Clifton played the role of Alex Owens, a steelworker who dreams of training to be a professional dancer. Having an impressive dancing career including 3 years as a professional on Strictly Come Dancing (which she also won), it was no surprise that Joanne's dancing was incredible! Her singing was also great too and she gave 100% from start to finish, delivering a passionate performance which was captivating to watch. Colin Kiyani performed as Alex's love interest, Nick Hurley and had an incredible voice! The two worked perfectly together and I loved their duets! The character of Gloria was played by Hollie-Ann Lowe who I also loved! Her overall performance was incredible! I also really liked Carol Ball (Hannah), Garry Lee Netley (Harry) and Alex Christian (Jimmy). I liked that Sasha Latoya (Louise) got to showcase her singing voice during the medley at the end! Overall, the entire cast were incredible dancers and I loved the choreography and lifts throughout the show!
Overall, I really enjoyed Flashdance The Musical and the music and dancing throughout the show. I also loved the cast with Joanne Clifton, Colin Kiyani and Hollie-Ann Lowe being stand-outs for me! I'd definitely recommend going and seeing it if you're in the area before its final show on Saturday evening!
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
*Ben Adams played the role of Nick Hurley throughout the Flashdance tour but was not scheduled to perform during the Grimsby run with Colin Kiyani replacing him and a few of the other cast members playing different roles to the rest of the tour. For the performance we attended, we had the full cast that was scheduled to perform during the Grimsby run. Hope that makes sense!
