4.5 STARS, August 14-19. Dreamboats and Petticoats is a delightful musical romp through Rock 'n' Roll that provides an enjoyable escape to a bygone era. Guaranteed to inject audiences with a feel-good factor, says Jackie Bryans
Pamela Raith
Set in 1961, Dreamboats and Petticoats is based around the members of a small youth club as they come of age; establishing their own band whilst exploring relationships with the opposite sex. A national youth club competition for the best ‘new song’ provides a focus for the teenagers to hone their creative skills as they try to write a winning number, whilst the 16th birthday party for one of the lead characters provides the perfect backdrop for the various romantic relationships to come together.
It must be a challenge transferring a West End show to the confines of the varied and inevitably smaller stages experienced when on a UK tour. Despite these restrictions the production includes live music throughout, various dance routines and even masterfully introduces real dodgems to help evoke the sense of a fun fair when the teenagers enjoy their summer trip to Southend. This all helps transport the audience back in time whilst energising them through the uplifting music of the age.
The audience is treated to countless renditions of music from the era, including familiar hits such as ‘Let’s Twist Again’, ‘Teenager in Love’, ‘Only Sixteen’, ‘Dream Lover’ and ‘Bobby’s Girl’ which only represent a small sample of this vast musical score. The youth club band proves to have talented musicians who accompany most of the hits, although a couple are performed a cappella. Saxophones, a trumpet and trombone played by other members of this talented and versatile cast are additional accompaniments for other numbers. The singing is excellent, I especially warmed to the beautiful voice of Elizabeth Carter who plays Laura, but overall enjoyed the performances of the entire cast.
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Pamela Raith Photography
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Pamela Raith Photography
It is rather fitting that the show’s writers, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, met when they were themselves members of a London youth club in the early 60s and their personal memories have surely helped ensure a sense of authenticity. Certainly, although I am of a younger generation, I could not escape a sense of nostalgia for my own teens and warm memories of the village youth club I frequented decades ago came flooding back.
The Theatre Royal Windsor is fortunate to have Bill Kenwright at its helm, enabling the venue to host a number of his productions. Since the show was first performed in 2009, Dreamboats and Petticoats has made regular visits to Windsor whilst on the show’s UK Tour, however, this was the first time I had seen it and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted evening of song and dance to lift the spirit. Despite it being a Monday night there was plenty of dancing in the aisles by the end of the evening and suspect there will be even more as the show progresses through the week. I will certainly plan to go again when next it comes to town.
Dreamboats and Petticoats continues at the Theatre Royal Windsor until Saturday and tickets are still available for all shows.
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