On Friday, March 22nd 2024, I had the opportunity to watch ‘Flashdance, the Musical’ at the Riley Smith Theatre, in the Leeds University Union (LUU). This was my first time watching a musical live, and I could not have been more thrilled. The story revolves around Alex (played by Abbie Freeston), a girl talented beyond her bounds in the art of singing, dancing, and acting, much like the talented Freeston herself, trying to get into the Shipley Dance Academy, a highly esteemed school of dance. Exploration into her ambition, struggle, and romance weaves the narrative of this musical. Flashdance also sheds light on the importance of passion, friendships, relationships, and competition in the lives of modern-day youth.
The actors captivated the audience with their performance from the beginning till the end. They aced their parts with their acting, singing, and dancing skills, and they were visibly enjoying themselves on stage. Their energetic performance radiated through the entire theatre and kept the viewers on the edge of their seats. Every single lyric of every single song that was sung was immaculate, matching the scenes and emotions impeccably. The costumes were beautiful and dazzling, perfectly in tune with the personalities of the characters. The musical was a package of drama, comedy, grief, and romance. Tess (played by Kiera Ford) captured all eyes with her exotic dance moves and vocals. David Bygraves, who played the character of ‘Nick’, had the most amazing comedic timing and showed his exceptional acting skills through improvisations on stage. Gloria (played by Freya Mactavish) made the audience sit up during her emotional scenes as the whole room sympathised with her pain. One of my personal favourites was Hannah (played by Cheung Yin Ting), a former dancer in her 70s, who was also Alex’s mentor. She charmed us with her great sense of humour.
The stage set-up and props were flawlessly designed, and the actors were very well coordinated – they did not miss out on placing the right props at the right time. One of the audience’s favourite props was the “Coke machine”, as it was very accurately designed. All the stage lighting blended well with the songs that were performed.
Focusing specifically on the dancers of the musical, it cannot go without mentioning how phenomenally they performed each and every song; the audience could not keep their eyes off them. Every time they stepped onto the stage, the crowd roared, whistled, and cheered out of sheer excitement. Parus Mehra, the Co-Choreographer/Principal Dancer, played his position effortlessly in the most stunning way possible. Izzy Peter, Sofia Walker, Felix Do, and Jess Bilsby carried out their parts with utmost commitment, passion and energy.
Flashdance came with twists and turns which successfully made the audience gasp for their breath. Alex’s journey from being a flash dancer at a bar to finally getting accepted to the most prestigious dance academy truly inspired the spectators. Her independence and hard work pushed barriers and helped her achieve her goals. This musical not only thrilled us with a night full of dance, drama, music, comedy, and romance but also taught us some valuable lessons.
I am most certain that I speak for everybody when I say ‘Flashdance, the Musical’ was truly an extraordinary show put up by the UoL students, that just like the plot of the drama, reflected their very own passion and hard work towards the practice of music, dance, and acting.
Written By: Adrita Barua
Edited By: Raahat Lakdawala