REVIEW: Superbooty - The story of an ordinary girl with an extraordinary gift. Epstein Theatre
From the outset, I loved the performance, it was fast-paced and witty. I have always rated Michael Chapman. He has such presence on stage and is a genius when it comes to delivering comedy. He always delivers it so effortlessly and sardonically that the audience instantly engages and hangs on to his every word. The way that he presents the physical comedy as well as the script is mesmerizing.
The story-line is about KB dance school which encounters hard times and becomes £200k in debt. Their rival dance school Burley Demeanor has poached all of their dancers. Michael Chapman plays Debbie who has a naive son called Kevin played by the fabulous Lewis Pryor who is also no stranger to the Epstein's stage. We witness the infatuation that Kevin has with his love interest Michelle (Hayley Hampson) which is unrequited. When Kevin is gifted the golden trainee (trainer for those not familiar with the colloquialisms of the North West), a magical gift from singer Jessie J, he recklessly gives it away with dire consequences. What ensues is a battle to retrieve said golden trainee and to rescue his love interest Michelle from the hands of the shows evil character Dr Bernie Demeanour.
The show had a barrage of witty one-liners and the odd predictable quip and innuendo - much to the delight of the audience who willingly sang back to the cast upon request for their interaction. They chanted gleefully "Superbooty...I'm not trying to be sexy, sexy is trying to be me"
Bradley Thompson played Cliff Clifton a flamboyant choreographer at KB dance school who betrays his colleagues. His diction is superb and he plays the role of the traitor convincingly - a strong performance all round. Hayley Hampson's vocals are great and she plays Michelle very well.
Reality TV show star Jordan Davies makes an appearance in the show and whist he can neither dance nor sing, the audience did not seem concerned and enjoyed his scantily clad appearance nonetheless. This was evident by the whoops and applause that erupted around the theatre when he took to the stage.
The choreography was excellent. Anna Malone Principal at Anamal dance company choreographed some great pieces and her young dance troupe executed them proficiently. The star of the show from a dance perspective was undoubtedly Harry Barnes who played Frankie Funkenstein. His locking and popping skills were next level incredible and it was fascinating to watch him perform with such technical skill.
Strong performances were also delivered by Tom Burroughs who played Keith Burley and Kate Crossley who was magnificent as Shannon Staples and Terri Tuck.
The language of the script was excellent, very intelligently constructed and reminiscent in parts to that employed by Shakespeare. Statements such as "Judge for Thyself" were woven into the narrative and this was fantastic. It was an eloquently written show which was so much more than slapstick farcical comedy. Chapman's writing style is to be commended as it was hilariously funny and yet had an underlying message. He played Debbie - Kevin's mum and also the main character SuperBooty. He imbued his son and the young dancers with a sense of confidence and encouraged them to build their self-belief. It was an empowering message of hope and optimism.
This was a fantastic show and was an evening well spent. Congratulations to Michael Chapman and the rest of the cast. It was highly engaging and uplifting. I was pleasantly surprised and bowled over by the show. The creative team excelled themselves with this production. If you haven't already, get your booty down to the Epstein today. You won't be dissapointed.
PR Rating - Superb - Superbooty
Epstein Box Office 0844 888 4411
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