LondonTheatre1

London Theatre: Tickets Reviews | News | West End | Off-West End | UK Touring Productions

Mamma Mia The Party Tickets
  • Home
  • London Musicals
    • Plays in London
    • London Theatres
      • Matinees
      • Seating Plans
      • Ambassadors Theatre
      • Duke of York’s Theatre
      • Fortune Theatre
      • Harold Pinter Theatre
      • Lyceum Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
      • Piccadilly Theatre
      • Richmond Theatre
      • Trafalgar Theatre
  • News
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Ballet
    • Cabaret
    • Children’s Theatre
    • Circus
    • Comedy
    • Dance
    • Immersive
    • Music
    • Musicals
    • Opera
    • Plays
    • UK Show News
  • ATG Tickets
    • Alexandra Theatre
    • Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
    • Brighton Theatre Royal
    • Bristol Hippodrome
    • Edinburgh Playhouse
    • Glasgow Theatre Royal
    • Grand Opera House York
    • King’s Theatre Glasgow
    • Kit Kat Club London
    • Leas Cliff Hall
    • Liverpool Empire
    • Manchester Opera House
    • Manchester Palace Theatre
    • Milton Keynes Theatre
    • New Theatre Oxford
    • New Victoria Theatre Woking
    • New Wimbledon Theatre
    • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
    • Princess Theatre Torquay
    • Regent Theatre Stoke
    • Rhoda McGaw Theatre
    • Richmond Theatre
    • Stockton Globe
    • Sunderland Empire
    • Swansea Arena
    • Victoria Hall Hanley Stoke
  • Dancewear
  • Newsletter
Home » Reviews » Stepping Out at the Vaudeville Theatre – Review

Stepping Out at the Vaudeville Theatre – Review

March 14, 2017 Last updated: May 7, 2019 11:02 pm By Louise Amelia Czupich

Stepping OutAs one of the most prolific and successful writers for British stage and screen, and despite his various other huge successes, Richard Harris’ ‘Stepping Out’ still stands today as a truly delicious slice of comedy writing. It is known that the inspiration for the play came from Harris’ late wife, the actress Hilary Crane, who suggested he come down to sit in on her local dance class, as she believed there might be ‘a play in it for him’ – and so Stepping Out was born.

Staged at the majestic Vaudeville Theatre on The Strand, from curtain up we are drawn into the little world of this amateur tap dance class set in a North London church hall. Our eight protagonists each have their own personal reasons for attending the class; their starkly different characters are conveyed through interwoven moments with one another, but the darker underlying motivations for why exactly they attend the tap class is never quite let slip. Instead, Harris feeds us tantalising snippets of detail about each of their lives… some of these snippets are for us as an audience to draw our own conclusions about, and some of them are a little more obvious, taking us deeper into our character’s truths. These darker, sadder moments pierce the sparky script and serve to inject touching ‘human’ elements, keeping us engaged and hooked from the modest church hall beginnings to the toe-tapping, sparkling finale.

Amanda Holden is just sensational and stunning as Vera, the meddling, uppity, socially outrageous newest member, with a heart of gold – she endears us to her whilst simultaneously rubbing everybody up the wrong way. Tracy-Ann Oberman has the audience cracking up every time she bursts onto stage with her effervescent know-it-all demeanour and loud leopard print jacket. Tamzin Outhwaite plays dance class teacher Mavis, although the performance we were treated to was one by the fantastic understudy, Anna-Jane Casey. Mrs Fraser, the moaning and miserable pianist expertly portrayed by Judith Barker, whose drunken outburst is one of the most hilarious moments in the play.

Natalie Casey’s down-to-earth, ‘take me as I am’ portrayal of Sylvia is another stand out performance, whilst Nicola Stephenson as Dorothy, Lesley Vickerage as Andy, Sandra Martin as Rose and Jessica-Alice McCluskey as Lynne all serve to add different interesting dynamics to the mix, each with their own peculiar quirks and motivations. Dominic Rowan as the group ‘doormat’ Geoffrey is one of the most engaging characters despite having the least to say – a true mark of an excellent actor!

By zoning into different characters throughout the course of the play, each of our tap class amateurs is equally as funny whilst doing next to nothing at all; simply telling the story through facial expressions and the slightest background movements, whilst still never pulling focus. The whole cast work seamlessly together, delivering their one-liners with panache and perfect comedy timing, and a special mention should go out to the fantastic direction from Maria Friedman and brilliant, feel-good choreography from Tim Jackson. Stepping Out is really not to be missed – step on up to the Vaudeville to catch this sparkling gem of a show.

5 Star Rating

Review by Louise Czupich

Amanda Holden heads a phenomenal cast in this wonderfully funny and heart-warming comedy which charts the lives of seven women and one man attempting to tap their troubles away at a weekly dancing class. Initially all thumbs and left feet, the group is just getting to grip with the basics when they are asked to take part in a charity gala…

Over the course of several months we meet the group, and all of them have a story to tell, There’s haughty Vera, mouthy Maxine and uptight Andy; bubbly Sylvia and shy Dorothy; eager Lynne and cheerful Rose and, of course, Geoffrey. At the piano is the dour Mrs Fraser and spurring them all on, the ever-patient Mavis.

Directed by triple Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman, the stellar cast also includes Angela Griffin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Tamzin Outhwaite and Nicola Stephenson.

Stepping Out was the winner of the Evening Standard Comedy of the Year Award, 1984. It was also made into a musical, which became a film in 1991, starring Liza Minnelli and Julie Walters.

Read more reviews from LondonTheatre1.com

Vaudeville Theatre
404 Strand, London, WC2R 0NH

Tagged With: SteppingOut, VaudevilleTheatre

Musicals by Candlelight Tickets

Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

The background stays largely the same throughout the performance, and appears to resemble the hairstyle of Elle Woods (Courtney Bowman). Regardless, … [Read More...]

Everyman – Miracle Theatre – Brighton Fringe and Tour

Everyman is one of the earliest printed plays, originally written in Middle English and first performed around 1510. It is a morality play, popular … [Read More...]

We Started To Sing at the Arcola Theatre

After being closed for over two years due to covid, the Arcola Theatre has re-opened with Barney Norris’s love song to the people who raised him, We … [Read More...]

Dickens Theatre Company’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The schools and educational work of the Dickens’ Theatre Company is evident in this production of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde – the storyline does not … [Read More...]

La Clique at Underbelly Festival | Review

Now in its 15th year, La Clique have firmly established their place on the world burlesque circuit and this year’s London cast bring their infamous … [Read More...]

London Theatre 1 and London Theatre One are Registered Trademarks Copyright 2022 www.LondonTheatre1.com
By using our website you’re confirming that you’re happy to accept our use of cookies.
Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising - About Us - Newsletter - Contact Us

As an Amazon Associate our website receives a commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.