FASHION GURUS have been telling us for months that the 80s are back and now that Fame - The Musical is on our doorstep, there is no denying it. Legwarmers and leotards - this is a high-energy blast from the past. Unless you are under 20, in which case the show will be new to you. But whether you were wearing legwarmers or diapers in the 80s, you will have heard the catchy Fame theme tune.
Fame, the movie, came out in 1980 and was followed by the TV series which ran for six years. Those who saw the TV show the first time around will notice that names have been changed. But no matter that Leroy is now Tyrone, the premise and plot remain the same and follows the highs and lows of a group of students at the New York School of Performing Arts.
The musical kicks off with the teenagers leaping for joy on hearing they have been accepted by the school. And so begins their journey driven by a fierce ambition to succeed.
Solo and duet performances worth a mention include Joe Vegas, the clown of the class whose Can't Keep It Down routine had the audience in giggles. And Serena Katz (Laura Fitzpatrick) - a lovesick girl from Brooklyn who develops a serious crush on Nick Piazza (Simon Gleeson) - gives a strong performance with Let's Play A Love Scene.
The dance routines are high-energy, well-choreographed pieces. Tyrone Jackson (Peter Harrington-Olsen), a charismatic African-American dancer, is convincing as he battles his own personal demons to make it to the top. And the fiercely ambitious Carmen Diaz (Deone Zanotto), who gets sucked into the world of drugs, is a character that will be hard to forget.
The musical is high on the feel-good factor and you are bound to leave the theatre humming, if not singing the theme tune - Fame, I Want To Live Forever.
