Boogie on down for disco inferno

With its big hair, flares and hot pants Boogie Nights is set to create a disco inferno in Birmingham.

The stage of the Alexandra Theatre will be filled with 120 performers from across the Midlands from tonight, and four of the people taking part are from the Black Country.

In the high energy show is Edgecliff High School teacher Sian Weston along with Stephen Kirwan from Leamore, Walsall, Sarah Hammond from Quarry Bank and Simon Williams from Bentley, Walsall.

Sian, aged 23, of Norton, Stourbridge, says she joined the cast of Boogie Nights to ensure she had something to do over six weeks summer break.

“I am a teacher and instead of having nothing to do over the summer holidays I saw this advert and decided to come to the auditions, which were at the end of May,” she said.

“Last time I saw Boogie Nights was when I last went to Blackpool and I thought it was fantastic. Being here for two weeks makes you realise what it is like to put on a professional performance.

“We started rehearsing on Saturday, August 9 and by the Thursday we had managed to put the whole show together.”

Boogie Nights is a sensational show featuring amazing dance routines and funky seventies costumes. There will be five performances running from tonight until Saturday, when there will also be a matinee.

The show is packed with classic seventies floor fillers including Boogie Wonderland, Celebration, Disco Inferno, Enough is Enough, I Will Survive, Play That Funky Music, Street Life, We Are Family and YMCA.

“My favourite song in the show is The Last Dance and it is played at the end of the first half,” says Sian who wears a bright pink lycra costume for the show. “Everyone who is in the show gets involved and there is a great atmosphere on the stage.”

Opportunity

The show, which is sponsored by the Express & Star, has been organised as part of the Alexandra Theatre’s Stage Experience, which is about giving young people the opportunity to experience working in a professional theatre environment.

The performers work under the supervision of a director, choreographer and musical director for two weeks of intensive rehearsals.

Simon Williams, 16, of Tenbury Close in Bentley, who is performing at the theatre for the fifth time, said: “The music for Boogie Nights is great and people know so many of the tunes because they are still played in night clubs and bars – who doesn’t know songs such as YMCA?”

The show is set in a 1970s nightclub and is about a lad called Roddy who is a bit of a Jack-the-lad. The story is based around his love life and he takes the audience back in time over a five-year period.

The Stage Experience project culminates in five performances at the Alexandra Theatre on the full set from the West End and is backed by professional theatre musicians.

Sarah Hammond, aged 20, from Southview Ridge in Quarry Bank, said this was her fourth production at the Alexandra Theatre with Stage Experience.

“Because I’m a dance teacher I’m used to choreographing and at the moment I’m on a course in London to teach classical ballet,” she said

“This is a bit different to that but doing Boogie Nights is such good fun and the music has really stood the test of time.”

Sarah added a lot of people who are coming to see the show are planning on dressing up in 70s costumes.

Stephen Kirwan, 16, of Harden Road, Leamore, says he got involved in the production after being given a main part in his school play.

“I was in a production at my school, Shelfield Sports College, and I got a main part so when I saw an advert for the auditions I decided to give it a go,” he said. “I just can’t wait for the curtain to go up on our first performance, I think our families will be amazed at how well we have done.”

Tickets cost £12.50 and are available by calling 0844 847 2293.