With rehearsals well under way, the UK Tour of Flashdance The Musical is about to spend the next year wowing audiences around the country.
The eighties classic American romantic drama will feature Strictly Come Dancing favourite Joanne Clifton as Alex Owens and A1’s Ben Adams as Nick Hurley.
With high energy and a seemingly never ending supply of legwarmers, the show promises to bring back that fun 80’s feeling and invites the audience to revisit a beloved film and era.
We sat down with Joanne and Ben to talk about the upcoming show and to learn a bit more about their Flashdance experience so far.
Joanne, how are you enjoying riding a bike around the stage?
‘Before the show, I couldn’t ride a bike… Well, I could ride it in a straight line but not around corners!’
Ben, you’ve had a varied career beginning with classical training and then moving onto the pop scene with A1 – how does belting out 80’s classics fit into your career at the moment?
‘I think 80’s is one of my favourite genres, I love this kind of music. When I listen to music at home, my Spotify playlist is mostly 80’s. My musical ‘Eugenius’is very 80’s inspired, as is my solo album so when Flashdance came along it all really tied together’
And Joanne, you are no stranger to different genres – from Strictly Come Dancing’s 1950’s jive, to your portrayal of the 1920’s flapper girl in Thoroughly Modern Millie, is the 80’s an era that you love?
‘I was born in the 80’s – I love shell suits! I like lots of genres, especially Hanson, what era is that? 90’s?’
I think so, does that mean you would audition for ‘Hanson, The Musical?
‘Definitely, I’d be the lead!’
What is it like working with each other on the show?
Ben – ‘There are a lot of laughs, it’s difficult because sometimes I will look at Joanne and if my lip starts to quiver then she can tell and it’s game over! We have been told off a couple of times for not being able to finish a scene’
Joanne – ‘We have a technique, when either of us knows the other is going to laugh, we just have to turn away!’
Lastly, how many pairs of legwarmers does the average cast member get through during a week of shows?
Ben – ‘Well I get through about 100 personally, backstage just trying them on’
Joanne – ‘I’m not sure, we are yet to see the costumes!’
With performances up and down the UK, be sure to check out this fun and colourful show, combining your favourite hits with fabulous choreography that will leave you dancing your way home – this one isn’t just for 80’s kids!
Joanne & Ben were speaking to Stephanie Legg at the launch of Flashdance The Musical
Flashdance The Musical opens 4th August at Glasgow King’s Theatre and is set to tour until July 2018. Full schedule at the official website:
Back in January at the VAULT Festival we reviewed Mental, a one man show written and performed by Kane Power about his own moving exploration into his mum’s mental health. The show received a five star review from ourselves.
Kane Power Theatre hopes to take the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year to help spread the message that mental health matters and the stigma needs to end.
This is a truly unique show that received an overwhelming response from critics, audiences, and mental health organisations at the VAULT Festival.
After being invited to Edinburgh for the month of August by Assembly Festival, the company are left needing to raise £4500 to cover the cost of taking a theatre production to the Festival. In order to do this, Kane has launched a Kickstarter campaign.
There are some exciting rewards on offer, including an original limited edition show album and a signed photograph from supporter Stephen Fry. Kane Power Theatre is also offering sponsorship packages. Follow the link below for further details:
At a time when mental health is increasingly making the headlines, yet still so many are unable to speak about their experience for fear of stigma, Mental tells a personal story that will get people talking. Created by mother and son, Kim and Kane Power, Mental is a powerful insight into one family’s experience of living with a mental illness.
“Hi, I’m Kane, and this show is about me and my mum, and her mental health. I want you to watch this show and feel like you’ve come and had a chat with an old friend. It’s an exploration of the modern mind with music, anecdotes, and medical notes that I hope will give you a sense of her bipolar world. It is about the mind, yes my mum’s mind and my mind but it’s also about your mind too. And if it’s about the mind, somehow it’s about the heart, the soul, and about humans being.”
Throughout the run, Mental will be fundraising for Heads Together, The Centre for Mental Health, Bipolar UK as well as local Edinburgh charity Health in Mind.
Photography by Lucas Smith
LISTING
2 – 27 August
Previews 2-3 August. No shows Mon 14 and Mon 21 August
