Review : Dance Nation

‘Musically shining and hilariously delivering…’ Mia Hassan reviews ‘Dance Nation.’

Energetic. Hilarious. Captivating. Those were the three adjectives I wrote down in my little notepad as I was watching Dance Nation. Directed by Marnie Tiga Prentice and Ben Greenwood (a duo I have already adored onstage in the past, #lemons) and produced by James Barr and Louisa Walsh, this adaptation of Clare Barron’s play was bound to be a musical extravaganza. 

From the outset, the audience was welcomed into a fun and vibrant atmosphere by the absolute bangers that were playing as we all walked in and found our seats. When the play began, and I attempted to figure out why there was a lack of scouse accents despite the play being set in Liverpool (spoiler alert, it was Liverpool in Ohio, USA), this energetic vibe was maintained. The hilarious character of Dance Teacher Pat played by Malachy O’Callaghan made the whole audience belly laugh with his exceptional comedic timing and delivery. My favourite part of the entire piece was his little speech about death, and I think I will cherish such a performance for life! The dance group was incredible and their interactions with one another can easily be described as the heart and soul of the uplifting vibe that consistently ran throughout the entire play. The upbeat tone of the piece was not only maintained but elevated as the dance numbers choreographed by Jess Fordwoh brought this production to life, particularly the ‘Push The Button’ number! Musically shining and hilariously delivering, Dance Nation made its audience get lost in its wonderful theatrics and feel-good atmosphere. 

Although this is not to say the piece did not have any poignant moments – Charlotte Pine completely aced Ashlee’s monologue, with the whole of the audience captivated by the hilarious jokes juxtaposed by such serious confessions and the enchanting Emilia Clarke vibes she gave off. Tanatswa Ericks and Sara Sheikh consistently delivered a thought-provoking performance and performed Zuzu and Amina in a way that ensured the characters were fully realised and perfectly depicted the tumultuous teenage experience. Special mention goes to Luke Nolan playing Luke (how fitting!) as I genuinely adored his portrayal of his character and was consistently laughing or empathising with him every time he stepped onto the stage. 

As the plot built up to the final dance competition and reached its peak, unfortunately, the vibe of the first half was lost. I felt as though both technically and thematically; the plot had lost its energy, its fun, and its upbeat nature. This was possibly due to the fact that the whole play had been building up to this big moment and then didn’t end soon after it. Instead, it carried on without its energetic atmosphere and then began to feel like a different piece. A quick and easy fix would be to cut down some of the later scenes to ensure there is no disconnect between the first and second half, however, this is just my personal opinion. Despite this, there were still some comedic moments in this second half, and the ‘pussy chant’ will forever be iconic. 

Overall, Dance Nation was pure energy and fun! Aside from the potential for it to have ended sooner, it kept its promise of being side-achingly funny and heart-breakingly tragic all at once. Importantly, as referenced in the director’s note, it is vital for theatre to be diverse and inclusive with talented individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds being cast and presented onstage; this performance delivered on such a crucial need, and I hope other LUU productions can follow suit. 

Words by Mia Hassan

(Image Credit: Mia Hassan)